


Study Buddy

by deandestiny



Category: NCT (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Amusement Park, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Library, Blindfolds, Dinner Date, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Handcuffs, Hurt/Comfort, Library Sex, Light Angst, Light Bondage, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Roleplay, Safeword Use, Slow Burn, Smut, Study Date, Sub!Taeyong, Taeyong is a babie, Y/n serenades Taeyong, amusement park date, karaoke date, movie date, studio date, supportive doyoung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:54:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 35,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25180462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deandestiny/pseuds/deandestiny
Summary: You need a book from the library to complete an assignment but Taeyong needs the very same book too. One thing leads to another and you begin to spend more and more time in each other's company. What started as a study buddy arrangement grows into something quite different...
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun & Park Sooyoung | Joy, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Reader, Lee Taeyong/Reader
Comments: 90
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

You made your way towards the university library in a hurry. You had two weeks to complete an assignment on the musical references in the literary works you’ve discussed this semester and you intended to start working on it as soon as possible. Your professor had warned you that there was currently only one copy of The Oxford Companion to Music in the library and you’d better borrow it as soon as possible. You had been sick the previous week and your colleagues had already borrowed the other copies. You sighed to yourself. Why was university so stressful?  
You spent a couple of moments looking for the book you needed. The second you laid your hands on it, you realized your hands were not the only ones in a hurry to get it. On the other side of the book aisle, someone had grabbed hold of it at the exact same time you had. Just your shitty luck, you guessed. You wouldn’t yield so easily, though. You let go of the book (temporarily) and walked towards your rival, who was still standing on the other side of the aisle.  
“Hi, um, this is kinda awkward, but I really need this book,” you said in determination.  
“What a coincidence,” the young man in front of you said, “Me too.”  
The first thing you noticed were his large puppy eyes that reminded you of one of your favourite emojis. The second thing was his bright blue hair. The third thing was his casual smile. You reminded yourself that you were here on a mission and you wouldn’t be swayed just because your rival was handsome and cute. You were going to get this book! You wanted to graduate so badly.  
“For how long do you need it?”  
“Like, two weeks?” he responded.  
“Oh, shit, so do I.”  
“I asked the librarian and they said we aren’t allowed to photocopy it because it’s a really old edition and it might ruin the quality of the pages or whatever.”  
You shook your head in annoyance.  
“What are we going to do?”  
“I am not giving up on the last copy,” the young man said.  
“Me neither,” you were adamant. “But I’m willing to compromise, because you strike me as the hard-working type. And so am I.”  
“You are correct in your observations,” he chuckled and ran a hand through his bright hair. Oh, Lord, you were completely done for.  
“So, how about we both use this copy while in the library? And when it closes, we’ll just take turns. You borrow it on Mondays; I borrow it on Tuesdays and so on.”  
His eyebrows furrowed in thought, he was obviously considering your proposition.  
“That doesn’t sound too bad. What about weekends?”  
“We’ll figure something out. We could study at some café or something.”  
“I’m game,” he shrugged. “But I’m going to need something from you so that I know you won’t trick me.”  
You rolled your eyes.  
“What is it?”  
“I need your number,” the handsome man said.  
Despite the fact that you knew he was just being cautious and wanted to study from this book as much as you did, your heart still fluttered.  
“What are you going to do if I steal the book? Bully me into picking up the phone?” you joked.  
“Don’t give me ideas,” he smirked playfully.  
“Okay, then, if you don’t trust my academic integrity.”  
The two of you exchanged your numbers and then it hit you.  
“What name should I write you down under?”  
“Taeyong.”  
“It’s nice to meet you, Taeyong. Despite the circumstances. I’m Y/N.”  
“Likewise, Y/N.”  
You smiled because he was really easy to talk to and you were glad he was willing to compromise and didn’t turn out to be some asshole who’s impossible to work with.  
The two of you found a free table and sat down. You pulled out your notes and so did he. Of course, you both needed different sections of the book, so you took turns when studying. While he was looking for the needed information, you were going over your notes and highlighting the important information, and vice versa. You were surprised to find out he was very quiet and studious. He wasn’t as chatty as earlier today. A couple of hours later, the librarian informed you they were closing down, soon. You gathered your stuff and exited the library.  
“I didn’t know Literature students had to read The Oxford Companion to Music,” Taeyong observed. He had peaked at your notes every once in a while.  
“I didn’t know, either, but I’m glad.”  
“How so?” he was curious.  
You were going to blurt out something cliché like “I wouldn’t have met you if they hadn’t made me read it”, but you stopped yourself in time.  
“It was quite engaging,” you quietly managed.  
Taeyong nodded in agreement.  
“So, you study Music, then?” you tried to make conversation while the two of you were walking down the stairs.  
“Yeah, I do,” he chuckled shyly.  
“That’s nice,” you punched yourself internally for being ever so awkward around handsome guys.  
You walked in silence a couple of more minutes before you spoke again.  
“It’s Monday, so…you can borrow it first, like we discussed previously,” you offered generously.  
“Really?” Taeyong seemed surprised at your sudden benevolence.  
“Sure. I’m a woman of my word,” you said.  
“Wow, um, thanks. It was really nice…studying with you,” he was probably just as flustered as you and that made you feel better about yourself.  
“Same here,” you mumbled nervously. “See you tomorrow at the library?”  
“Yep, see you tomorrow, Y/N. And, um, get home safely.”  
“Thanks, Taeyong. You too.”  
He walked away in the opposite direction and you found your gaze lingering after him a little big longer than what was considered normal. To your amazement, he turned around and waved at you cutely. You smiled and waved back. Your rival was really cute, you had to admit. There were some good things about university, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

In the previous week you had spent every day after classes working on your assignment in the company of Taeyong, sharing the last copy of the book you both needed. It was very pleasant to study with him. He was silent and focused when the tasks demanded it, but he was also talkative and easy-going when you two were done for the day. You were surprised to find out how much you were enjoying spending time with him. Even though you two had different majors, you found a lot of things in common such as your shared love for books and music.   
Though you were eager to finish your assignment soon and focus on other things, you also didn’t want your study buddy arrangement with Taeyong to end. However, you weren’t sure how to tell him. The two of you had made plans to study at a café during the weekend. You wanted to bring up your thoughts but you were worried you’d seem too clingy and desperate to prolong your newly-built friendship. You decided to wait until the end of next week when it was time to hand in both your assignments.  
“Hey!” Taeyong greeted you cheerfully when he saw you sitting on a table near the window.  
“Hi! How are you doing?” you replied.  
“Oh, I’m great, because it’s the weekend.”  
“Come on, you and I both know you don’t relax much even during the weekend,” you joked.  
Taeyong put a hand on his heart, feigning hurt.  
“How dare you? I am relaxing right now.”  
You shook your head in disagreement.  
“We came here to study, no?” you reminded him.  
“Well, yes, but we’ll also unwind and watch dog videos, right?”  
You laughed.  
“Business first or no memes!” you put on a serious face.  
Taeyong pouted adorably but soon enough, he was completely absorbed in his studies and so were you. After two hours of intense typing onto your laptops and occasional supportive glances you were exchanging, you and Taeyong decided to call it a day. You had already accomplished your plans so it was time for some dog videos like Taeyong had suggested earlier.  
“Oh my God, look at this one!” Taeyong showed you a funny clip of a doggo eating a strawberry. It was so cute you couldn’t help but “aww” when you saw it.  
“It’s adorable!”  
“Do you want me to show you my dog?” Taeyong asked, giving you the puppy eyes. How could you say no to that?  
“You have a dog? Why didn’t you start with that?”  
He shrugged.  
“I was building up the tension.”  
You chuckled.  
“Her name is Ruby and I love her more than anything. Look!” he excitedly showed you some photos of her in his phone.  
“She’s an angel!” you exclaimed in delight. “Where have you been hiding her?”  
“Well, we didn’t exactly have much time to get to know each other,” Taeyong pointed out. “These assignments have been eating away all of our free time.”  
“That’s true,” you agreed sadly. “You’ve got to introduce me to Ruby one day!” you blurted out without thinking. You silently cursed yourself the minute you’d realized what you’d said. Introducing you to his dog meant spending more time together after the study buddy arrangement was over. And you weren’t sure how Taeyong would feel about that. You didn’t want to scare him away or to make him feel uncomfortable by sounding too forward.  
To your amusement, he beamed at the proposition.  
“I totally should! Ruby loves making new friends and so do I.”  
You smiled happily and decided not to delve further into this conversation. Baby steps. You’d talk about how much you wanted to continue hanging out next week. You tried to keep your excitement at bay and showed him a bunch memes you had saved in your phone. He surprised you pleasantly once more when he reacted positively upon seeing an Animal Crossing meme about Tom Nook being a capitalist.  
“You like Animal Crossing, too?” you asked joyfully.  
“Yes, it’s one of my favourite games!” he responded and began imitating the villagers’ voices.  
You burst into laughter and at one point you realized your tummy heart from giggling too hard.  
“Stahpp, I can’t breathe!” you shrieked, tears of laughter clouding your vision.  
Taeyong was grinning happily and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration if you said his smile was probably your new favourite thing in the world.  
“Wow, if I knew I was so funny, I would have pursued a career as a comedian instead of a musician,” he joked.  
This had you chuckling even more.  
“You’re hilarious,” you said.  
Taeyong blushed slightly and looked away. It was so endearing how he was so good at everything he was doing and yet whenever someone complimented him, he turned into a shy mess. You really wanted to tell him how amazing he was and make him believe it. The guy really deserved more confidence.  
“I mean it,” you reassured him in a serious tone.  
“T-thanks,” he stammered awkwardly.  
You gave him an encouraging smile. Unfortunately, your phone notified you that it was almost dinner time so you’d better get going soon. The minutes spent with Taeyong truly flied away so quickly. You wished you could stop the world around you and stay in his presence forever. You sighed, a bit sad that this might have to end if you weren’t brave enough to tell him how much you valued him as a friend. Just one week was capable of making you grow an attachment to the shy, clever boy you’d met in the library.  
“I have to go home,” you told him.  
“Oh.”  
Were you deluding yourself or did he sound kind of…sad about it? But if he wanted you to stay a bit longer why not just say so?   
“Well, I’ll see you on Monday in the library, right?”  
“Right.”  
Why did he reply with one-word sentences? Had you done something wrong to upset him? You began second-guessing your behaviour around him…  
“Are you okay, Taeyong?” you couldn’t help but ask.  
“Y/N, I have to tell you something.”  
“What’s wrong?”  
“I won’t come on Monday.”  
“Why?”  
“Cause I already submitted my assignment.”


	3. Chapter 3

“What do you mean you already submitted your assignment?” you were beyond confused. His deadline was the same day as yours. Why the hurry?  
“I will travel outside of the country next week and I thought it wouldn’t be fair of me to borrow the one remaining copy when you might still need it. Which is why I tried to complete my assignment last night and while we were here I just proofread it and submitted it,” Taeyong explained patiently.  
You were lowkey panicking. Him submitting the assignment…did that mean an end to your study buddy arrangement? So soon? You weren’t ready to tell him how badly you wanted to continue hanging out. But if he was going to be outside of the country the following week…what if this was your last chance to express how you felt? You couldn’t miss that like a fool, could you?  
“Oh.”  
It was your turn to give him one-word sentences. You were truly unable to think of anything to say that wouldn’t sound too desperate or rash.  
“You’ll return the book, right? I’m not coming back until after the deadline.”  
You nodded dumbly, unsure of what to do. Was this really the end? What were you supposed to say? Nice studying with you, wish you all the best? No, that sounded wrong, it would imply you had no desire to meet him ever again. But if you asked him to continue hanging out what if he got the wrong impression? What if he thought you had…non-friendly intentions? Ugh, why were you always overthinking things? Why couldn’t you just say what you wanted and be done with?  
“You said you were going home soon,” Taeyong reminded you, which wasn’t helpful at all. You didn’t want to go if it meant you would never see him again. Why was it so hard to confess?  
“Yeah, right, sorry,” you started gathering your stuff into your bag. You didn’t even notice your hands were shaking. But he did.  
“Y/N, are you alright? Your hands…”  
You looked at your hands and finally realized what he meant. Oh, God, it was that bad, huh?  
“I’m fine,” you murmured. “I just…really enjoyed studying with you and I was hoping…we could do that again sometime, if you want. And like…you’re going away so soon and I just…don’t know, I’m going to miss our study sessions, to be honest.”  
Taeyong looked surprised but other than that, relieved.  
“Oh, thank God. I was wondering how to tell you the exact same thing.”  
“You were?” you asked, barely hiding the shock in your voice.  
“Yes! I really enjoyed spending time with you and if it’s okay with you, we could do…other things that are not limited to studying.”  
You involuntarily blushed. What other things? What was he saying? Was it what you were thinking?  
“Like…go to the cinema or to a noraebang,” he clarified. “If you want.”  
“Sure, sure, that sounds great!” you cursed yourself mentally for assuming what other things meant…Why were you like this?  
“Really?” Taeyong seemed reassured. “I was so anxious to suggest we continue to hang out together but you beat me to it.”  
“You’re kidding, right?”  
This was absolutely unbelievable. He shook his head to show he was very serious about what he’d said.  
“No, but...you seem so confident and carefree, I wouldn’t have imagined you’d be anxious about anything.”  
Taeyong smiled shyly.  
“I’m really not like that. My act fooled you, didn’t it?”  
“Well, yeah,” you admitted. “I’m just stunned that we were both worrying needlessly over the same thing.”  
He shrugged.  
“It be like that sometimes.”  
You laughed. It came out naturally. He was so effortlessly funny it was doing tricks to your head. You wished you could make him laugh as easily. You wished you could be the source of his happiness, like music was. How was it possible that you felt so at ease in his company and at the same time you were also quite nervous? How was it possible that you felt so at home and at the same time your hands were shaking like crazy?  
“I really should get going,” you said, eventually remembering the reason why you’d started gathering your stuff.  
“Oh, sure. I’m so sorry for keeping you,” Taeyong responded, sincerely apologetic.  
“No, no, don’t be,” you tried to comfort him. “I’m glad we talked. And have a safe travel!”  
“Thank you. I’ll text you when I’m back, okay? We could catch up and grab a meal or whatever you feel comfortable with.”  
“I would love that, Taeyong. It’s been really nice studying with you, truly.”  
“And other things,” he joked, probably referring to his earlier suggestion and to the fact that you had both started opening up about your interests outside of the academic world.  
“And other things,” you repeated.


	4. Chapter 4

Another week passed by in the blink of an eye. Between your busy classes, your part-time job and adding the finishing touch to your assignment, you had little time left to be anxious about Taeyong’s return. You were somewhat grateful for your demanding schedule because if it weren’t for it, you’d probably spend every damn minute worrying about him and how he was doing. It was funny how you’d known him for only a week and yet you were already so attached that you actually missed him. And by funny you thought it was kinda sad that you were so easy to please. A little attention, conversation about books and the occasional memes and you were done for.  
Once it was Friday night you really began losing your mind. Taeyong was supposed to come back this weekend. You weren’t sure if it would be Saturday or Sunday but the mystery made things more interesting. And slightly stressful. It felt so close and yet so far. What if he had forgotten all about you and didn’t text you at all? Were you supposed to text him instead? Would he find that annoying? You sighed to yourself. Once again you were overthinking things, though it was completely unnecessary. You needed something to take your mind off it. You had submitted your assignment earlier today so you were now free to do whatever you wanted. Your usual choice would have been to binge a show, but for some reason you felt like doing something different for a change. You decided to call your friends and ask them if they had any plans for the night.  
“Hi, Ten, whatcha doing tonight?”  
“Oh, hi, Y/N. You know, the usual, I’m going to a new bar. Joy is coming, too.”  
“Can I tag along?” you asked hopefully.  
“Of course, you’re always welcome!” Ten responded, sounding surprised for some reason.  
“That’s great! Cause you guys stopped inviting me to stuff and I was worried that you didn’t want me around,” you admitted nervously.  
“Nonsense! It’s just that you’re always flooded with assignments and rarely show interest in bars and stuff.”  
“Yeah, well, I just completed one and thought it’d be nice to chill out a bit. I haven’t seen you guys in ages.”  
“That’s true! We really miss you, Y/N!”  
“Miss you too, Ten!”  
“I’ll text you the address, okay?”  
“Sounds good, see you later!”  
“See ya!”  
Ten was an art student but you had met him at a linguistic conference. Even though he was more outgoing and social than you, he also had a profound interest in learning many languages. Which was one of the reasons you two hit it off easily. Your shared love for languages (and cats) had made you two bond almost effortlessly. He had introduced you to Joy. She was a total sweetheart and you adored hanging out with the two of them. In the beginning of your academic experience the three of you hung out almost every day but in the last couple of months it had become very difficult for you to find the time (and energy) to socialize. Your professors were really demanding and you would be lucky if you could spare one weekend for your friends. Of course, you still texted a lot and sent each other fun photos but at one point, you realized Ten and Joy had stopped inviting you to things, because chances were you were going to reject them. Your newly-formed friendship with Taeyong had reminded you that you were unfairly neglecting your own friends, which is why you decided to amend your mistakes.  
The minute you arrived at the bar, you were greeted by a tight group hug, given to you by both Ten and Joy.  
“As I live and breathe, if it isn’t my favourite nerd!” Joy exclaimed happily.  
“I deserved that,” you smiled apologetically. “How are you, guys?”  
“Perfect,” Ten replied. “With the exception we’ve been missing our vitamin D, which is you, sunshine!”  
You blushed and shook your head.  
“I’m so sorry, guys! You have no idea how much I missed you too! And I promise I’ll try my best to hang out more often.”  
“We’ve heard that before,” Joy murmured sceptically.  
“This time it’s for real,” you vowed solemnly. “You two are my top priority!”  
Joy giggled and squeezed your cheeks.  
“Come on, girl, let’s get you drunk!”  
“N-noo,” you attempted to escape your friends’ plans for you, but to no avail.  
“It’s Friday night, Y/N!” Ten reminded you. “No excuses!”  
You finally gave in and the three of you started partying. The music was so loud and the drinks were so strong that you forgot all about your worries. And you didn’t even think of checking your phone once…

***

  
The following morning you were greeted with a splitting headache. You groaned and drank some water. You got out of bed and brushed your teeth. Then, you decided to see if you had any unread messages. You weren’t surprised to find out your battery had died and you had forgotten to put the phone to charge last night after coming home at like 3am. You scratched your head, absolutely exhausted. You plugged your charger into your phone and went back to bed. You were so hungover you didn’t notice when you fell asleep again. When you woke up again, it was 2pm. You blinked in shock and were happy to find out the headache was gone. Your phone had been thoroughly charged already. But there was one problem. You had tons of missed calls. From Taeyong. 


	5. Chapter 5

Your eyes widened in shock as you registered all the missed calls from Taeyong. Was he alright? Why had he been calling you so many times? Your mind immediately started jumping through all the worst scenarios possible. In order to avoid the excessive anxiety that would do more harm than good, you decided to do the only sensible thing. You called him back, eager to hear his voice, but also really worried about him.  
“Y/N, oh my God, are you okay?” Taeyong asked immediately.  
“I’m fine, Taeyong, how are you? I just saw your calls, is everything alright?”  
“Yes, I’m good, but I thought something had happened to you! When you didn’t answer any of my messages or calls for hours, I was very concerned!”  
A pang of guilt hit you unexpectedly. How could you be so irresponsible and not carry your portable charger to that party? If you had, none of this would have happened.  
“I’m so sorry, Taeyong! I was out with some friends and my phone died. In the morning I was too hungover and the only thing I managed to do was plug it in. I really didn’t think you’d contact me until Sunday. I didn’t mean to make you worry, I swear.”  
Taeyong let a sigh of relief.  
“I’m just glad you’re okay, Y/N. You needn’t apologize. I only called you to let you know I’m back and if you’d like to meet up tomorrow, I’d be happy to.”  
“Tomorrow sounds great,” you beamed at the suggestion. “But nothing too crazy, please. I’ve had enough drinks to last me a month.”  
Taeyong giggled.  
“Your wish is my command. How about a movie? I heard there’s a new Marvel one in the cinemas.”  
“Sign me the fuck up,” you answered happily.  
“Great. We’ll settle on which cinema and what time via text, okay?”  
“Okay…And Taeyong?”  
“Yeah?”  
“I’m glad you’re back.”  
“Glad to be back.”

***

Sunday arrived and you excitedly picked out an outfit to wear at the cinema. You knew that it wasn’t exactly a date, but you were thrilled, nonetheless. What you and Taeyong had going on was very meaningful to you and you wanted to make every minute count. You settled on a red top, black jeans and white sneakers. You honestly couldn’t wait to see him again. You had so many questions. Where had he been? How was it? Did he have a colleague who’d help him catch up and send him lecture notes? Did he already receive feedback for his assignment? But most of all, you wanted to ask him if he’d missed you as much as you’d missed him. Knowing yourself, you probably wouldn’t muster enough courage to do so, but a girl can dream, right?  
When you arrived in front of the mall where you were supposed to watch a movie, you spotted him rightaway. He was wearing a denim jacket, black jeans and round glasses. His hair was no longer blue, but rather a soft kind of brown. He was looking around like a confused puppy and you decided it was high time to save him from his misery instead of ogling him like a creep. You hurried towards him and smiled at him the minute he noticed you.  
“Hi!” Taeyong surprised you by giving you a quick hug and you hated to admit it, but your heart fluttered at the contact. He was only a little taller than you but you still felt somewhat small in his presence.  
“Hey!” you replied meekly.  
“How have you been?” he asked. “Did you miss me?”  
You froze on the spot. Of course you had. But did he have to attack you with the serious questions from the very beginning? You realized he’d said it in a jocular manner, so you quickly recovered from your initial shock and played along.  
“Not as much as you missed me!” you teased him.  
To your further amazement, Taeyong continued the conversation in a very serious tone.  
“I really did miss you, Y/N.”  
You were back to square one. You couldn’t physically move, you just stared at his big eyes, completely dumbfounded.  
“Um…where did you go?”  
“Abroad,” he answered. “My best friend lives in Japan. I hadn’t seen him since last year, so I paid him a visit.”  
“That’s so sweet of you. Having a long distance friend must be really hard,” you nodded sympathetically.  
“It is. But we’re getting by.”  
“Did you have fun while you were away?” you asked, genuinely interested to hear more about Taeyong and his travel.  
“Oh, yeah, it was great. Yuta showed me lots of nice places and delicious food. He’s really cool,” Taeyong spoke fondly.  
You smiled as you listened to him telling you about his Japanese friend. A couple of minutes later, Tayeong interrupted himself mid-thought.  
“Ah, shit, the movie’s starting in a bit! We’d better hurry!”  
You realized he was right.  
“Let’s get going, we can talk more after the movie!” you suggested and the two of you ran up the escalators to the greatest displeasure of the calmly standing mall visitors.  
“S-sorry,” you two apologized frantically for bumping into them every once in a while. Luckily, you made it in time just when the ads were coming to an end. You took your seats and settled down.  
“Enjoy the movie,” Taeyong whispered in your ear.  
“You too, Taeyong,” you murmured back.  
The movie started and even though you were a huge Marvel fan you soon realized you couldn’t focus at all! Taeyong’s gorgeous features were illuminated by the screen. You were transfixed by his plump lips, his sharp jawline and his big eyes. You couldn’t believe you were fortunate enough to observe his beauty up-close. You wondered if angels existed and if he was one. You tried to snap out of it and force yourself to focus on the movie. Unfortunately, you were too slow. Taeyong must have somehow sensed your intense stare, because he looked back at you, curious.  
“What’s wrong?” he mumbled.  
“N-nothing,” you stuttered.  
He smirked.  
“Were you distracted by something?”  
You blushed and nervously broke eye contact.  
“Eyes back on the screen, love.”  
You didn’t dare disobey him and was grateful he let you off easily… 


	6. Chapter 6

When the movie ended you found yourself praying to whatever gods you could think of that Taeyong would not ask you which was your favourite scene or whether you think some character shouldn’t have done this or that. Because, surprise, surprise, you had not been paying attention. Like, at all. Even after he told you to focus on the screen, you were completely overwhelmed by scenarios about him, sitting next to you in a dark hall. It was like your brain had a bug in the system and the only coherent thoughts it could form were related to Taeyong. You were truly embarrassed by this discovery but could not do much about it. As the two of you exited the hall, you tried your best to snap out of it and appear…normal. Or at least, as normal as can be expected.  
“Did you enjoy the movie?” Taeyong asked you, sincerely curious.  
Good, the question was general enough to answer. You could do that. Right?  
“Yeah, it was awesome,” you replied cheerfully.  
“Really?” he seemed surprised at your response. “It was kinda sad near the end, no? I wished they’d made it differently.”  
“Oh, for sure,” you agreed dumbly. What the heck was wrong with you? You couldn’t have possibly lost all your braincells just because of his close proximity and beautiful eyelashes and…Could you?  
“You okay, Y/N? Did you want to watch something else? You seemed pretty excited yesterday…”  
Pfft, as if watching something else could have helped. No matter how interesting the movie, you were completely doomed. It would be an understatement to say that Taeyong was the prettiest, nicest, smartest guy you’d ever laid eyes upon. And you weren’t sure if there was some “no thoughts, head empty” disease going on with you, but you were sure of one thing. You could not fuck this friendship up, so you’d have to pull yourself together and start acting like a proper human being.  
“No, no, I wanted to watch this. It’s just that I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”  
“I’m all ears,” Taeyong offered generously.  
“Well, you know that assignment I’ve been working on?”  
“Hard to forget, considering it’s the reason we met,” he joked easily.  
You laughed.  
“Right. So, I still haven’t received any results and I’m anxious about that. Speaking of, did you get feedback? I forgot to ask you earlier.”  
“Oh, yeah, I aced it,” Taeyong smirked smugly.  
“As expected,” you smiled. “Congratulations, by the way!”  
“Thanks. Listen, Y/N, I’m sure your results will be great. You seem very hard-working and diligent so there’s nothing to worry about that. What else has been troubling your pretty little head?”  
Your…pretty…little…what now? Your heart fluttered. It wasn’t even actual flirting and yet he was so good at it? Whatever this thing was.  
“I’ve been spending less time with my friends because I’m so busy with university and I’m worried that…worried that they’ll give up on me,” you confessed something that you hadn’t even admitted to yourself. He was so easy to talk. And such a good listener…Something that was hard to find in this egotistical world.   
“If your friends really care about you, they’ll understand.”  
You nodded in agreement.  
“I suppose you’re right.”  
“Is there anything else that you’re concerned about?”  
You, Taeyong. And more specifically, how he made you feel. But how could you say that and risk scaring him away?  
“Nope,” you lied. “Thank you for listening to me. I really feel a lot better now.”  
Taeyong’s eyes narrowed, as if he doubted your sincerity.  
“Sure, I’m happy to help.”  
You started playing with your fingers like an idiot.  
“Shall we head home?” you blurted out to get rid of the awkwardness.  
“If that’s what you want,” he shrugged.  
Of course it wasn’t what you wanted. You wanted to spend every free minute with him and never let him out of your sight. Luckily, he saved you from having to beg for his attention.  
“Cause…earlier you said we can talk more after the movie,” Taeyong scratched the back of his head cutely.  
“Yes, I would love to talk some more! Do you want to have a walk around the park nearby?”  
He agreed happily and the two of you did exactly that. Once the conversation started again, it was as if nothing had happened. It was so natural to talk to him. As long as you weren’t looking him directly in the eyes. He made you feel safe and nervous at the same time and you were afraid he held such power over you. You felt like a terrible liar, but it couldn’t be helped.  
“You’ll text me when you get the results from your assignment, yeah?” Taeyong asked.  
“Why?”   
“To celebrate, silly. I’m taking you to a noraebang next time.”  
You blushed shyly.  
“Oh, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”  
“Why not?”  
“Because…it’d be humiliating! You’re a music major!”  
“So? Come on, it’ll be fun!”  
You shook your head, still not confident enough to agree to this.  
“But, Taeyong, the only place I’ve sung is in the shower! And besides, I don’t want to make you deaf or anything.”  
He laughed wholeheartedly.  
“Oh, please, it can’t be that bad.”  
You sighed.  
“Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  
Taeyong squealed victoriously.  
“Yay, I promise you won’t regret it! We’ll have a great time!”  
You hoped the reality would match his expectations.


	7. Chapter 7

The following week passed by quickly. Uni was as stressful as usual, but somehow you managed to free a Friday afternoon to hang out with your friends, Ten and Joy. You were determined to make good on your promise to them and spend less time obsessing over assignments and more time with them. They were your closest people around here, after all, so they deserved more appreciation from you.  
“Hey, girl, how have you been?” Joy asked you, as she gave you a quick but heartfelt hug. Ten also embraced you briefly.  
“Oh, you know, same old, uni by day, Netflix by night,” you joked.  
Joy gave you a sceptical look. Ten, too, eyed you suspiciously.  
“Really, now? A little birdie told me you were spotted with the most good-looking guy in the music department.”  
You stood there, mouth open wide in shock. Joy was studying to get a major in acting. It was no wonder she was so sociable and had connections.  
“Who told you that?”  
“Seulgi from the music department! She saw you at the cinema!”  
You blushed in embarrassment even though you had nothing to be embarrassed about. You had done nothing wrong, right?  
“Y/N!” Ten pronounced your name accusingly. “How could you not tell us you were seeing someone?”  
“It’s not what you think!” you hurried to defend yourself. “We are just friends.”  
“Sis, spill the tea! How did you two meet?” Joy asked.  
“Yeah, Y/N! For how long have you been hiding this from us?” Ten inquired.  
“Guys, relax. It’s nothing serious. We just started studying together and went out a couple of times.”  
“A couple of times?” Joy was amazed. “And you call that nothing serious?”  
“Seulgi told us that Taeyong rarely goes out with girls!” Ten chimed in. “Not due to a lack of interest on their behalf, he just rejects almost everyone!”  
You were completely speechless. How were you so damn lucky, then?  
“I didn’t know that,” you mumble.  
“Of course you didn’t,” Ten said. “You practically live in the library.”  
You nodded, ashamed of your non-existent social life.  
“No, that’s okay,” Joy reassured you. “What Ten meant was that it’s obvious Taeyong really likes you.”  
Ten agreed.  
“Is it?” you had no clue why they considered it obvious when to you it was a mystery.  
“Yes!” Joy put her hands on your shoulders in a sisterly manner. “And if you like him, too, you have got to let us pick your outfit next time you decide to hang out with him.”  
“Please, Y/N, we can’t let your terrible fashion choices get in the way of a blooming romance!” Ten added, a little too enthusiastically.  
“They’re not that terrible!” you held your ground.  
“Trust us on this one, Y/N,” Joy shook her head, apparently disagreeing with you.  
You looked down at your plain blue jeans and your white shirt and shrugged.  
“Fine. We’re going out tomorrow evening.”  
Joy and Ten gave each other a conspiratorial look.  
“Mission ‘Transform Y/N’, begin!” Ten clapped excitedly and Joy got up, dragging you out of the bar where the three of you had been chilling.  
“Wait, guys!” you complained. “What’s the hurry? We’ve got tomorrow morning and…”  
“Oh, no,” Joy disagreed. “Tomorrow morning we’re doing your make-up.”  
“And your hair,” Ten twirled a piece of your hair around his finger and tsked judgmentally. “Definitely needs some work.”  
You flushed in colour. You loved your friends and all but they could be a little too overbearing and overcritical of your life choices.  
“We promise you won’t be able to recognize yourself!” Joy vowed with a wicked smile.  
“Your own mother wouldn’t recognize you!” Ten continued, which didn’t sound very comforting to you.  
Because it wasn’t what you wanted…at all.

***

The day of your noraebang “date” with Taeyong had come. Ten and Joy had indeed transformed you beyond recognition, putting you in a sexy black dress and high heels. They had curled your hair and put on some pretty badass make-up on you, which you didn’t necessarily dislike. They had even done your nails. But there was one tiny problem. You didn’t feel like yourself. And you hated not feeling comfortable in your own skin. You wondered how Taeyong would react to your new look as you waited for him in front of the noraebang. You were very anxious. It was true that it was already getting dark and you were probably going to get drinks, which made your outfit somewhat appropriate, but still. You hoped that Taeyong would arrive soon. Even though you were most likely going to be just as nervous (if not more) around him, you wanted to seem him so badly. And as if he’d read your thoughts, he showed up.  
“Y/N?” Taeyong questioned you in confusion as if he wasn’t sure you were the same person he knew.  
“In the flesh,” you laughed.  
“You look…wow…um…ravishing,” he complimented you and scratched the back of his head. He was adorable.  
“Um, thanks,” you murmured. “You look great, as well!”  
It was true. He didn’t even have to put an effort, because his natural self was absolutely gorgeous. His soft brown hair was softly swiped on one side, exposing his forehead and his dark eyebrows. He was wearing a brown coat on top of a white shirt and black jeans.  
He offered you his hand.  
“Shall we?”  
The two of you entered the noraebang, paid for an hour, and ordered some snacks and beer. After that you got inside the designated room. You were greeted by flashy lights, a large video screen, cute couches and lots of music equipment. You were awe-struck at how nice and special the place looked. You saw that Taeyong took off his shoes and you eagerly did the same, because those high heels were killing your legs. Screw Joy for making you wear them. You let out a sigh of relief.  
“Better?” Taeyong chuckled.  
“Infinitely.”  
“You wanna pick a song?” he asked you.  
You looked through the song list curiously and finally settled on one you were confident enough to sing in front of him.  
“I am sincerely praying for your ears,” you smiled and hit the start-button. 


	8. Chapter 8

You began singing your heart out to the best of your unprofessional abilities and you didn’t dare look at Taeyong to see his reaction. Him being a music major was kind of intimidating, you had to admit, but he’d insisted so cutely to go to a noraebang with you that you just didn’t have the strength to refuse his wishes. You had your eyes closed most of the time, lost in the moment and completely oblivious to how he was looking at you. Occasionally, you’d look at the screen to check if you were following the words correctly, even though it wasn’t necessary. You knew this song by heart; you’d sung it so many times. But never in front of anyone. When it was over, you finally mustered the courage to glance at him. You were completely flabbergasted to see his awestruck puppy eyes, widened even more than usual.  
“What? Do I have something on my mouth?” you joked, because you noticed he was focused on your lips, in particular. For whatever reason.  
“Yeah! Talent,” Taeyong responded cleverly.  
“Pfft, don’t mess with me!” your cheeks flushed. You had been self-conscious to sing with an audience for as long as you could remember.  
“I’m serious, Y/N! Your singing is beautiful!”  
“The system seems to disagree,” you pointed out upon seeing the low score you had been given by the karaoke machine.  
“The system is a fool,” Taeyong argued passionately. “Trust me, I know what bad singing is and yours isn’t one.”  
“T-thanks,” you stammered helplessly, utterly shocked by his compliments.  
“You still don’t believe me?” Taeyong asked gently.  
“Not really. But I’m grateful, nonetheless.”  
He shook his head, deciding to drop the subject for now. But still, he was determined to convince you of his sincerity one day.  
“It’s your turn,” you reminded him casually.  
Taeyong nodded and immediately picked something to perform. It was a rap song and you were surprised to see a new side of him, one that he hadn’t mentioned before. The second the music started playing, Taeyong transformed right before your eyes. From the soft-spoken wide-eyed gentle boy you knew and liked he turned into a completely different person. His charisma and presence were so unfamiliar to you that you were lowkey terrified. When he rapped, Taeyong was like a dragon. You couldn’t possibly look away but also, your heart was beating at an alarming pace and you were slightly afraid it wouldn’t handle it. You let out an involuntary sigh when the song ended. He was so sexy you were not sure how you were still alive, witnessing this up-close.  
“You’re staring,” Taeyong stated, his lips curved into a smirk.  
“I’m aware,” you admitted dumbly.  
“That good, huh?” he teased you.  
“Better,” you were too stunned to think of anything else to say.  
Taeyong chuckled cutely and there he was, his adorable, squishy self was back in no time.  
“Where have you been hiding…all of this?” you asked.  
“The beast?”  
“Is that what you’re calling him?”  
“Him?” Taeyong inquired. “It’s still me, you know.”  
“I know, of course,” you defended yourself. “It’s just that you’re so different when rapping that I almost didn’t…”  
“Recognize me?”  
You nodded.  
“Yeah, I get that a lot,” he confessed, sounding a bit nervous about it.  
“It’s a good thing,” you reassured him. “Unexpected, but definitely good.”  
Taeyong smiled at you and you were this close to pinching his cheeks but somehow found the ability to restrain yourself.  
“It’s your turn again,” he helped you snap out of it.  
You jumped up from the couch and went through the song list.  
“Okay, I’m ready.”  
Taeyong settled himself on the couch as if preparing to judge and observe you so you were back to feeling intimidated by his energy. You drank a bit of your beer, hoping it would calm your nerves. It wasn’t very helpful but you had to make it through the night somehow.

***

A couple of songs and a lot of drinks later, it was getting late so the two of you decided to call it a day (night, actually) and get going. It was quite fun despite your initial reservations against it. Taeyong kept praising your singing (even though you were still unsure of yourself) and you kept thirsting after his rapping persona. Overall, you had a great time in his company. The only downside to it was that it was becoming increasingly difficult to control yourself from jumping him. He was the first guy you’d met that was a) nice, b) smart, c) cute, d) sexy, e) easy-going, f) f-fuck, all of the above. And you wanted to date him so freaking badly. But you also didn’t want to lose your friendship. So, it was a constant struggle fluctuating between should you or should you not. And so far, you’d been losing against yourself.  
“That was…a lot of fun,” Taeyong said as you two walked towards the subway station.  
“Yeah, it was.”  
“We should do it again sometime,” he suggested.  
“You still have no mercy for your ears, huh?”  
Tayeong shook his head, laughing.  
“I told you, you were so damn good out there. Though, I still don’t get what’s with the outfit and the high heels.”  
You knew he’d noticed! Why hadn’t he brought it up earlier? Maybe he was just being polite.  
“What’d you mean?”  
“You know, you didn’t seem very comfortable. And I don’t get why. You look pretty in anything.”  
You blushed. Did he just…call you pretty? This had to be a dream, right?  
“Can I be honest with you, Taeyong?”  
“I was kinda hoping you were always honest with me, but go ahead.”  
“My friends insisted on giving me a complete make-over. And I was foolish enough to agree to it.”  
Taeyong laughed.  
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving the new look. I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me, that’s what I meant.”  
He was so sweet and considerate you weren’t exactly certain he was real.  
“I am comfortable around you,” you insisted. “I guess I was just kinda swayed by my friends’ bullying my fashion choices.”  
“They’re not that terrible,” Taeyong nudged your shoulder playfully.  
“That’s exactly what I said!” you exclaimed. “Unbelievable.”  
“So…um…I know this is a bit sudden but would you like to—“  
“Yes,” you responded without waiting to hear the end of his sentence.  
“You don’t even know what’s it about!” Taeyong eyed you suspiciously.  
“It doesn’t matter,” you said. “I really enjoy hanging out with you so…yes to anything.”  
“Um…okay. So, you would come to my studio to record a song with me?”  
You were again speechless. What? The? Hell?  
“I just think your singing would blend really nicely with my rap and we could really create something cool together. If you want to.”  
This was…not what you were expecting at all. But you’d already said yes. You couldn’t take it back. Even though you were hoping his question was very different from the reality. You silently cursed yourself for having such expectations. Of course, you couldn’t let him down. So, you had to reaffirm your previous statement.  
“Like I said, yes to anything.”  
Taeyong clapped happily and gave you a tight hug. Your heart was going to combust  
“That’s amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”  
“I haven’t done much yet,” you laughed, struggling to breathe.  
“Oh, trust me, Y/N, you’ve done more than enough.” 


	9. Chapter 9

Recording a song with Taeyong was far more frustrating than you’d initially anticipated. You had to admit, you were really excited about this. And he’d seemed pretty hyped up, as well. So, when you were hit with the reality of actually having to go to his studio, you were shocked to find out it wasn’t as chill as your noraebang “date”. Even though Taeyong was naturally a patient, understanding person, he was quite different when working on something. He didn’t really get frustrated with you, but he insisted on recording some parts over and over again until they were perfect, which was somewhat discouraging. You weren’t used to his tempo, but at the same you didn’t want to disappoint him so you tried your best to try harder. However, the more you sang, the more you felt like your voice was wearing out. You were in desperate need of a break, but you weren’t sure how to bring it up for fear of displeasing him. You could tell he really wanted to make this song as special as possible but in doing so, he was putting you through some unnecessary pressure. After what felt like the hundredth attempt at perfecting a particularly difficult part, you took off your headphones and sighed deeply.  
“Let’s take a break,” you finally spoke up.  
Taeyong nodded in agreement.  
“You’re right. We’ve been here for hours.”  
“Yeah, I need some water,” you admitted, exhausted.  
Taeyong hurriedly ran towards his kitchen and returned in no time, handing you a glass full of water.  
“Thank you,” you said after taking a large gulp of it. “We should get something to eat.”  
He shook his head.  
“You go ahead, I’ll continue working on—“  
“Taeyong!” you scolded him caringly and put a hand on his arm. “Enough! We both need food and rest.”  
“But—“  
“No buts! Don’t you realize how tired you look? I relate to wanting to create art and perfecting it, but at one point, I came to the conclusion that health should be prioritized over our passion.”  
Taeyong smiled sadly.  
“I know, I know. But it’s so hard to stop when you’re so close to achieving what you want.”  
“Trust me, I get that. But if you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll burn out. And I can’t imagine what I’d do without you,” you confessed.  
“Oh, please, you were doing just fine before me.”  
“But I’m doing so much better when you’re around,” you insisted fondly.  
“I can say the same,” Taeyong replied. “If it hadn’t been for you, I’d probably skip yet another meal.”  
You gave him an exasperated look that spoke for itself.  
“That’s it. We’re going to have dinner.”  
“It’s a date,” Taeyong responded and your heart fluttered at the thought. You were fully aware it was just a phrase and he probably meant nothing serious by it but it still made you feel…special.  
“I know a really great pasta place. You in?”  
“You know it,” Taeyong agreed happily.  
“Yayyy, food!” you jumped up excitedly.  
Once the two of you had ordered and were now waiting for the spaghetti to arrive, Taeyong’s giddy expression suddenly changed into a more serious one that reminded you of his studio, hard-working persona.  
“What’s wrong?” you immediately asked, worried about him.  
“I need to say something,” his tone was morose.  
“Taeyong, you’re scaring me.”  
“I wanted to apologize.”  
“What for?” you were confused.  
“For being so hard on you earlier. I didn’t mean to pressure you and…I’m sorry for insisting we record for so long. Sometimes I get carried away when I’m working and I should have been more understanding of how you feel.”  
“Taeyong, it’s alright. I didn’t feel pressured, at all. I wanted to record a song with you, remember?”  
“Of course, I remember, it’s just that I tend to forget myself. It wasn’t fair on you and that’s why I’m apologizing.”  
You shook your head.  
“I admit, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed but I wasn’t upset with you or anything. I just wanted to do my best to make you happy.”  
Taeyong ran a hand through his hair.  
“That’s the thing. You don’t have to do stuff just to please me. It isn’t right…”  
“I can take care of myself, Taeyong,” you reminded him.  
“Obviously. But you’re so sweet and I was worried I’d been too…”  
“Demanding?”  
“I was going to say aggressive, but…semantics.”  
You laughed.  
“There’s nothing aggressive about you, Yong.”  
Taeyong lifted his eyebrows in a challenge.  
“Really? Would you like me to remind you of your reaction when you first saw me rapping?”  
You gulped nervously. You felt as if you had been caught red-handed when in fact you hadn’t done anything wrong. It wasn’t _your_ fault he’d tried to murder you with his sexy energy!  
“N-no, I don’t think I need a reminder.”  
Taeyong smirked.  
“That’s what I thought.”  
Luckily, your food arrived just in time to save you from the awkwardness. You focused on eating instead of making conversation and you hoped Taeyong would just drop the subject altogether instead of torturing you further. Oh, how wrong you’d been…


	10. Chapter 10

Once you had finished eating and you reassured Taeyong that his apology had been accepted and he didn’t need to worry further, he said that it’s getting late and insisted on walking you home. You told him it wasn’t at all necessary but Taeyong was so determined on doing so that you didn’t have it in your heart to reject him. Besides, you liked him already so much, it was near impossible to say “no”. Just as you’d thought of that, as the two of you were walking towards your home, Taeyong brought up a subject you’d almost forgotten.  
“Last time we hung out…you agreed to recording a song with me even before you knew what I was going to ask.”  
You nodded in confirmation, slightly embarrassed by how easy you were to read.  
“Why?” Taeyong asked.  
“Why did I record a song with you?”  
“No, silly,” he laughed wholeheartedly. “Why did you agree without knowing what it is I ask?”  
“I told you already,” you reminded him in a desperate attempt to hide the truth from him. “I enjoy spending time with you.”  
“So do I,” Taeyong admitted. “But why do I feel like there’s more to it?”  
You shook your head, hoping he would forget about it already. No such luck.  
“You seemed…a bit disappointed when I told you what I meant.”  
Oh, God, no! Had he figured it out? You were terrified that this would mess up your friendship. You’d rather keep your feelings a secret forever than risk losing Taeyong as a friend. This would be the absolute worst! You cared about him so much and couldn’t bear the thought of him not being in your life.  
When he noticed you were uncharacteristically quiet, Taeyong spoke again to release the awkward tension between the two of you.  
“Don’t get me wrong, you were pretty excited once we actually started planning the song via text. But in that brief moment before you knew what it was about, I could see the dejection in your eyes, and don’t try to deny it.”  
You looked away nervously and started playing with your hands. What were you supposed to say? If you lied, he’d see right through you. But could you tell him the truth?  
“T-taeyong, I wasn’t disappointed,” you murmured. “I was just expecting you to ask something else. Though I probably shouldn’t have.”  
Taeyong seemed confused for a while. What had you wanted him to ask?  
“I don’t understand.”  
“Don’t you know already?” you were trying to be vague about it, giving him the chance to either reject you in a straightforward way or accept your feelings. You didn’t want to be too direct about your emotions for fear of scaring him away.  
“I don’t! Y/N, just tell me what you mean by that,” Taeyong was growing visibly frustrated with your ambiguous answers.  
“N-nothing,” you said dumbly.  
“No, it’s not nothing,” Taeyong insisted. “What did you hope I would ask?”  
Now, it was _you_ who was frustrated. How could he be so oblivious? He was either pretending not to know or he was really clueless. You couldn’t believe this.  
“Haven’t you noticed the way I look at you? How excited I am every time we go out? How I can’t…how I can’t even breathe whenever you’re near me?” you were on the verge of crying and Taeyong just stared at you, puppy-eyed and with a shocked expression on his face. “What did you think I wanted you to ask me, you idiot? I wanted to go on a date with you!”  
Once the secret was out, you realized how badly your hands were shaking. This was the worst confession you’ve ever made in your entire life. It wasn’t chill at all, it was so stressful and infuriating that all you wanted was to get home already, eat ice cream and cry into your pillow. You started walking in a hurry, trying to get away from Taeyong because you were too damn exhausted to hear him reject you.  
“Y/N, wait!” he yelled after you, equally exasperated with the absurdity of the situation.  
You were now walking faster, because what could he possible say that would make you feel better? No matter how he tried to let you down gently, it would still hurt, so what’s the use? You continued pacing forward in the dark.  
“We already went on so many dates, you dumbass!” Taeyong screamed, causing you to abruptly stop. Your tears just started falling down your cheeks. What did he mean?  
He’d managed to catch up with you and grabbed your hand. You turned around slowly, almost in a daze.  
“We w-what?” you stuttered.  
“Sorry for not being explicit about my intentions, I guess,” Taeyong laughed sarcastically and since you had stopped near a streetlight, you could see he was blushing. You couldn’t believe it.  
“You asshole…” you started hitting his chest and continued crying. You were so damn stupid.  
“Hey, stop,” Taeyong took hold of your hands to put an end to your incessant attacks. “Don’t you know already?” he repeated your words, giving you a taste of your own medicine. “How I can’t stop thinking about you? How I can’t listen to a love song without picturing us? How much I like you…”  
You couldn't take it any longer, so you stood on your tiptoes and kissed him, wrapping your arms around his neck. He pulled you closer and kissed you back, shy and hesitant at first, but when you deepened the kiss, you could feel him relaxing. He caressed your face in the dark and you felt so special and wanted in that brief moment that you wished it could last forever. Once you remained out of breath, you took a step back, breaking the kiss.  
“I like you so much,” you whispered.  
Taeyong chuckled.  
“We’re such idiots. To think we were both so oblivious…”  
“Big dumbass energy is what we have,” you joked and reached up to play with his fringe.  
“Now that we’ve cleared up any misunderstandings, how about we go on our first official date?” Taeyong offered.  
You beamed happily and noticed your tears had already dried.  
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear that,” you giggled.  
“Is that a yes?” he wanted to make sure.  
“Of course, it’s a yes!” you properly agreed and kissed him swiftly once more. “Where are we going?”  
“How do you feel about amusement parks?”  
Your eyes sparked up with joy.  
“The way I feel about you.”  
Taeyong frowned in mock annoyance.  
“I was hoping I was a little higher in your list of likes.”  
“Yeah, on a high horse,” you teased him.  
“I’m revoking your friend card,” Taeyong threatened.  
“Why?” you pouted, feigning innocence.  
“Because, regrettably, you’ve been promoted to a girlfriend.”  
“ _Regrettably_?” you started tickling his belly mercilessly. “Take that back!”  
“Never,” Taeyong laughed and for the first time in forever, you were happy.


	11. Chapter 11

You were giddily getting ready for your first official date with Taeyong. Even though both of you had already hung out so much, you were a bit nervous. After your awkward confession and the unexpected fact that he liked your back, you were on seventh heaven. You actually couldn’t believe your luck. You were so happy that Taeyong had agreed to be your boyfriend that you were so afraid of jinxing it. So, you didn’t even gather the courage to share the news with your friends Ten and Joy. If they ever found out, they would probably kill you for not telling them sooner, but you couldn’t bother worrying about that. You were so excited to go to an amusement park with Taeyong that you had a really hard time deciding what to wear. You wouldn’t make the mistake of asking your friends for advice again, because Taeyong had insisted you wear whatever you feel comfortable in. You tried on a couple of outfits before you finally settled on a pastel pink knee-length dress paired with white sneakers. You put on just a bit of make-up, aiming for a cutesy, natural look and nodded supportively at yourself in the mirror.  
“You can do this, Y/N! Fighting!”  
You grabbed your bag and your phone and hurried outside. Once you arrived in front of the amusement park, you realized your heart was threatening to burst out of your chest. It was really frustrating. It’s not like you were going to see Taeyong for the first time. So, why were you losing your shit? You checked your phone only to found out you were like 15 minutes early. You sighed to yourself and search for your earphones in your bag. You played some music, desperately hoping it would calm your nerves. It didn’t help much, because your heart was still thumping like crazy. However, you had gotten so lost in the music that you didn’t even notice Taeyong arriving. He put a gentle hand on your arm, causing you to jump in surprise and turn around swiftly. You took out your earphones in order to talk to him properly.  
“Oh my gosh, hi!”  
“Did I frighten you?” Taeyong asked cautiously.  
“No, no, it’s fine,” you smiled at him reassuringly.  
Taeyong leaned down a bit and gave you a quick but heartfelt hug, which made your heart problem even worse. The hug itself was a bit awkward but you couldn’t help but melt on the inside at the gesture.  
“It’s really great to see you again,” Taeyong said.  
It had been a week since your last hang-out and you dearly missed him. It was nice to know that the feeling was mutual.  
“Likewise,” you chuckled.  
“So, shall we?” he suggested you enter the amusement park.  
“Sure, let’s go,” you replied.  
“What’s the first ride you wanna try?” Taeyong asked for your preference generously.  
“Hm, let’s take it easy at first and check out the bumper cars!” you squealed in excitement.  
“That’s your definition of taking it easy?” he shook his head. “Alright, then, princess.”  
You blushed at him calling you that and the two of you went on. You were surprised to find out that despite his generally soft personality, he was quite competitive. Actually, it made sense. He was also a perfectionist in the studio. You could relate to that. The bumper cars were quite fun and once you’d gotten enough of them, you suggested trying something else.  
“Your choice next,” you said, giving him a chance to decide.  
“Carousel?”  
You rolled your eyes.  
“You’re such a baby!” you exclaimed.  
“Am not!” Taeyong denied it while pouting, which didn’t help his defense much.  
“Yes, you are!” you continued teasing him relentlessly and squished his cheeks. You had wanted to do this for so long. He was so adorable you could eat him.  
“Fine, maybe just a little,” he gave up and allowed you to torment the soft skin on his face. This. This was the definition of happiness.  
“Okay, let’s get going!” you agreed to his wishes and the two of you actually had a really nice time riding the carousel. His joyful and carefree smile was enough to make you feel satisfied. Taeyong really seemed to be enjoying himself, which was the most important thing to you. You couldn’t restrain yourself from snapping a few photos of him secretly. You would show him later, of course. Once you were finished with the carousel, Taeyong offered to get the two of you cotton candy. You nodded contentedly and as soon as he did, you acquired the strength to ask him if he wanted to take a photo together. He gladly accepted your proposition so here it was, your first official selfie as a couple. It almost felt surreal.  
“Fun fact: the guy who invented cotton candy was actually a dentist,” you shared this useless piece of information with your boyfriend. “He really went off and said: Imma ruin yall’s teeth, take your money, then fix yall’s teeth and take your money AGAIN.”  
Taeyong giggled at your weird sense of humour.  
“You’re such a nerd.”  
“I so am,” you admitted proudly.  
“And you’re not even denying it!” he exclaimed in mock-disapproval. “Unbelievable!”  
You two were happily munching on the cotton candy for a while, when suddenly, you were struck by an idea.  
“Hold my cotton candy and wait here for me,” you instructed him without giving him much of a chance to argue.  
“Where are you going?” he yelled after you in confusion. You looked back only to see him giving you the puppy-eyes. He was too cute for his own good.  
“I’ll be right back, okay?”  
Taeyong nodded sweetly, not finding it possible to do anything else. You hurried towards a claw machine you’d passed by on your way to the carousel. You were determined to get a tiger plushy and gift it to Taeyong. You didn’t give a damn about those film stereotypes about the guy at the arcade winning a prize for the girl or whatever. You wanted to get him that plushy and you were going to do it. After two unsuccessful attempts, you were considering giving up. But no! People said third time’s the charm, right? You had to succeed or you would break that stupid machine!  
“YES!” you screamed proudly the minute you laid your hands on the little tiger. “SUCCESS!”  
“What are you doing?” Taeyong mumbled softly behind you.  
“Nooo, it was supposed to be a surprise,” you murmured dejectedly.  
“I’m sorry for not waiting patiently,” he scratched the back of his head guiltily. “This place is so big, I didn’t want to lose you.”  
“Nooo, sweetie, it’s alright,” you approached him and stroked his face. “This is for you, actually,” you handed him the tiger plushy. “It…reminded me of you so I really wanted to win it for you,” you admitted.  
Taeyong looked at the stuffed animal, then back at you and took it hesitantly in his hands.  
“For me?” he asked unsure.  
“Yeah,” you chuckled. “You like it?”  
He nodded, completely dumb-founded.  
“This is so sweet of you. You seriously didn’t have to.”  
“I wanted to, silly,” you smiled at him.  
“Thank you, really. It means a lot to me.”  
Mission accomplished.  
“Shall we go to the Ferris wheel next?” you suggested.  
“Count me in!”


	12. Chapter 12

After your visit to the Ferris wheel, you and Taeyong realized you were quite hungry and the cotton candy you’d previously eaten wasn’t enough to keep you both satisfied. So, you two got some hot dogs from a nearby stand and sat down on a bench in order to discuss what you shall do next. You had tried a number of fun rides together but honestly, you wanted to try something a little more thrilling, which is why you openly suggested checking out the ultimate death-ride roller coaster. Taeyong’s expression was genuinely mortified.  
“Are you crazy? Do you want us to die?”  
You rolled your eyes.  
“Come ooon, it’ll be fun! Statistics show that more people die in car accidents than in amusement parks.”  
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Taeyong blinked at you in shock.  
“Nothing bad will happen! I promise!” you tried your best to reassure him.  
“I’m not sure…” he murmured hesitantly.  
“If you do this for me, I will owe you big time. Any wish you make after that, I will fulfill.”  
“Anything?” Taeyong’s eyes lit up at the prospect.  
You nodded solemnly to prove how serious you were about making promises.  
“And I can bring it up at any time?”  
“You just name it and it shall be yours.”  
“Let’s go to this roller coaster, then,” Taeyong quickly changed his mind, which made you feel really excited. He was such a sweetheart, you made a mental note to yourself that you should treasure him even more and treat him to delicious things.  
“You’re the best, Taeyong!” you praised him and the two of you signed up for the next roller coaster ride. He looked a bit nervous and you tried to make him feel at ease by reminding him to hold the plush tiger tightly if he got scared during the ride.  
“I’m not scared,” he snapped, feeling a bit offended. “You hold it instead!”  
You shrugged, not wanting to annoy him further and held onto the tiger toy for him. Once you got on the ride, put on your seat-belts and patiently waited for it to start, you suddenly remembered the initial reason why you’d wanted to try this particular ride together. A while ago you’d seen a movie where the female lead had been so scared during the roller coaster journey that she’d held onto her boyfriend’s hand. At that time you’d found it really cute and had told yourself that you would want to try it as soon as you got a guy willing to go on the ultimate death-ride with you. You didn’t mind roller coasters so you would have to feign fear in order to make it more believable that you absolutely had no other solution than to grab his hand. Honestly, you were just looking for an excuse to hold Taeyong. The minute the ride began, you realized your plan would go down the drain. Your new boyfriend looked completely terrified! He was obviously trying his best to hide his anxiety but you were genuinely starting to get worried. Since he had given you the little tiger and had nothing to hold onto, his fists were now clenched. You noticed that you were going even higher and faster than at the beginning and even though you weren’t affected by it, Taeyong was visibly concerned. You couldn’t take it any longer, seeing him so scared was breaking your heart! You clutched the plush tiger with one hand and grabbed his trembling fist with your free hand. He looked at you in surprise.  
“Are you okay?” Taeyong somehow managed to make his voice louder than the engine running beneath you, louder than the sound of the wind whistling in your ears.  
And of course, you were perfectly fine. But you didn’t want to upset him by telling him you had noticed his unease. You remembered how he’d reacted earlier. Other than that, you just really wanted to hold his hand and be there for him. So, you had to lie to him.  
“It’s scarier than I thought,” you mumbled and even though you kept telling yourself it was a lie and you were doing this for him, the second these words left your lips, you reached the conclusion you were actually telling the truth.  
“You wanted to come here!” Taeyong reminded you, getting a bit frustrated.  
“I know that and I’m sorry!” you responded, still clutching his hand tightly. He seemed to be doing a lot better now, which made your heart flutter. You could swear you heard him say “this is nice”.  
You spent the rest of the ride in silence, holding hands the whole time. Once you were back on the ground, Taeyong released you. He was still very quiet, which was troubling, to say the least.  
“What, so now that you’re no longer scared, you refuse to hold my hand?” you pouted.  
“You knew I was scared?” he asked you in horror, his eyes wide.  
“It was pretty damn obvious,” you chuckled, not at all meaning to mock him, simply stating the truth.  
“You were scared, too!” Taeyong pointed out.  
“Actually, I wasn’t that scared, I just pretended to be so that we could hold hands,” you admitted.  
“W-what?” he seemed taken aback and you realized you were more terrified of doing something to upset him than that stupid roller coaster.  
You looked down, feeling somewhat guilty because of what you’d done.  
“So you’re saying we got on that horrendous ride just because you wanted to hold hands?” Taeyong whined in disbelief.  
“Well, that’s one part. I also really wanted to try it with you. But mostly, I wanted to hold your hand, yeah.”  
“Then, why didn’t you just say so?” Taeyong laughed, shaking his head.  
“Cause I’m an idiot?” you suggested an answer to his question.  
“We’ve already established that,” he booped your nose teasingly.  
“Here,” you whispered, handing him back the soft tiger. “I believe that’s yours.”  
“You can keep it,” Taeyong smirked coolly.  
“No, I got it for you, I want you to have it,” you insisted.  
“Alright,” he took it casually but you could tell how much he enjoyed your gift. His eyes were practically sparkling. You wanted to kiss him so badly. Even though you had already kissed, you weren’t exactly sure how to make it happen again. Last time, you had initiated the kiss and you had also been the first to confess. You didn’t want to come off as too clingy so you were now hesitant to do so again.  
“I think I’ve had enough rides to last me a lifetime,” Taeyong joked, interrupting your thoughts. “How do you feel about walking home?”  
“Oh,” you thought he meant walking your separate ways, which made you quite sad. You were glad to find out you had completely misinterpreted his words.  
“Together,” he added and you couldn’t stop yourself from squealing happily.  
“But you walked me home the last time so it’s my turn now!” you bargained with him.  
“Says who?”  
“Pleeeeease, it’s the 21st century, let’s take turns!”  
Taeyong smiled at you and gave you a quick but heartfelt kiss, thus, making your unspoken wish come true.  
“You’re lucky you’re so cute and I can’t say ‘no’ to you.”  
Little did you know how literally he meant that.


	13. Chapter 13

The day after your amusement park date with Taeyong, you were rudely woken up by your phone buzzing. You had apparently forgotten to put it on silent last night, which was frustrating, to say the least. You groaned sleepily and unlocked your phone. You were amazed to find hundreds of unread messages from the group chat with your best friends, Ten and Joy.  
Ten: Why didn’t you tell us you were dating Taeyong?  
Joy: Giiiiiiirl, I’m gonna k*ll you?!?! Give us the TEA right now!!!  
Ten: I second what Joy said but first  
Ten: YOU NEED TO TELL US EVERYTHING  
Joy: *link attached to a photo of you and Taeyong at the amusement park*  
Joy: YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTE, NO JOKE  
Joy: But srsly why didn’t you tell us?!?!? I’m so offended  
Ten: Me too! We’re your best friends, Y/N! I can’t believe I had to find out about this from social media…smh  
Joy: Ugh, exactly! Is that how little you care for us? Are we now mere followers to you?  
Ten: When Y/N gets her ass out of bed, she’s getting muuurdered <3  
Joy: Count me in! Where shall we hide her body? ^^  
Ten: It’ll be a surprise ;)  
Ten: Y/N, I hope you know we’re joking, we lov u :)  
Ten: Or not  
Joy: Wakey-wakey, Y/N :)  
You sighed and rolled your eyes after reading all the vaguely threatening messages from your very clingy and a bit annoying friends. You opened the link Joy sent and were pleasantly surprised when you saw it led you to Taeyong’s profile. So, he was the one posting the photo of you two! Your heart swelled with emotion when you saw the little pleading emolji and the heart he’d put as caption. He was so sweet. You immediately forgot about your still unread messages and commented a couple of cute emojis under the photo. You hoped Taeyong would see them soon. He was such an angel. Then, you reluctantly opened the group chat with your friends once again and started typing.  
You: Guys, relax…I didn’t tell you earlier because it was a pretty recent thing. Also, I didn’t want to jinx it, you know how I am. Oh and, if you kill me, Taeyong will most certainly avenge my death, so…don’t risk it. Lov u too, assholes ^^  
Joy: SHE’S AWAKE!  
Joy: Congratulations on your relationship! Ten, you owe me money :)  
Ten: FR? Y/N, why did you do this to me?  
You: Huh? What did I miss?   
Joy: Ten said he’s willing to bet you guys wouldn’t make it because you’re both shy dumbasses. I told him you two would be together very soon. I won, muahahaha ^^  
Ten: I hate you, Joy <3  
You: You guys were betting on my relationship? Are you serious? Right in front of my salad?  
Joy: Shhh, it’s okay. We’re just happy for you, right, Ten?  
Ten: Such a tragedy Joy won the bet. If she hadn’t, I probably would have snatched Taeyong :(  
Joy: Haha, I bet Y/N’s shaking in jealousy right now  
You: No more betting. I’m blocking your asses <3  
You closed your group chat, because your friends were starting to get on your nerves. You immediately dialled Taeyong. You just needed to hear his voice. It’d make everything better. You could no longer find the energy to deal with Ten and Joy. They were too chaotic but you still loved them. Why couldn’t you have normal friends? Instead of being supportive of you, here they were, clowning you. Unbelievable. You let out a sigh of relief when Taeyong picked up.  
“Hello?” Taeyong sounded a bit concerned.  
“Hi, oh my God, you have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice.”  
“What happened? Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, yeah. It’s just…my friends are being annoying and I got a bit frustrated.”  
“What did they say?”  
“It doesn’t matter. I just wanted to talk to you.”  
“Y/N,” Taeyong said it in such a way that urged you to speak your mind. “Talk to me.”  
“Well…they were angry at me for not telling them about…you know, us.”  
“Did you tell them to fuck off?”  
“Taeyong!” you chuckled. “I didn’t but now that you mention it, perhaps I should have.”  
“Well, it’s entirely up to you when you tell them or anyone. They shouldn’t pressure you into doing anything.”  
“I know, right?” you exclaimed. “I knew you’d understand, Taeyong! You’re so great!”  
Taeyong laughed softly.  
“Oh and, that photo of us you posted was super cute!”  
“Yeah? Sorry for not asking in advance whether it was okay to post it. I kinda wanted to surprise you…”  
“No, no, you don’t have to be sorry! You can do anything and I’d be happy!”  
“Anything?”  
“Mhm.”  
“You really, really shouldn’t have said that.”  
Your heart began thumping loudly in excitement. What did he mean by that?  
“Can we meet up again tomorrow?” Taeyong suggested.  
“Well, actually, I have an exam the day after tomorrow. So I was planning on burying myself in the library.”  
“That’s alright. I can tag along, if you don’t mind. Will do some uni work, as well.”  
“Sure, that’d be great!” you replied without thinking. “Just like the good old days, huh?”  
“Yeah,” Taeyong giggled. “I miss our study buddy arrangement sometimes. Don’t you?”  
“Of course, I do!” you smiled. “If it hadn’t been for it, we wouldn’t have met. Can you imagine?”  
“Nah. I can’t picture my world without you in it.”


	14. Chapter 14

You and Taeyong were chilling in the library and by ‘chilling’ you meant studying really hard. You – for your upcoming exam on the following day. Him – on some assignment on classical music that he should submit by Friday. Occasionally, you would sigh in exhaustion and frustration, which would earn you a concerned look on Taeyong’s behalf. You would smile at him reassuringly and the two of you would continue going through the books and notes you needed in order to pass your classes. At some point, you noticed it was getting darker. Had you been here for so long? You really hadn’t realized how quickly time passed. You and Taeyong were secluded in the very corner of the library, away from people’s eyes. You both liked the quiet and were quite introverted. However, you had somehow managed to find comfort in that, despite your obvious similarities. You promised yourself you’d just go through a few more pages and then you two would get going. You were starving and you were in desperate need of a warm meal. You guess Taeyong would be hungry, too, so you wondered if you should have dinner together. Despite spending the whole day together, you two hadn’t talked much, because of your concentrated study sessions. So you would naturally welcome a shared dinner where you would have the opportunity to pay attention to each other, instead of the boring university material.  
“It’s getting quite late,” you told Taeyong once you finished the pages you had vowed to yourself you would cover. “We should probably head out.”  
“Sure, yeah,” Taeyong murmured and started gathering his stuff. Once he was done, you walked towards the exit of the library and were hit by a sudden shock when you noticed there was no one else inside. And the door was locked.  
“No way,” you exclaimed and looked at the giant clock on the wall. It was 6:30pm. And the library closed at 6pm. Shit.  
“It appears we’re locked up,” Taeyong observed solemnly.  
“I can see that,” you responded. “Not to worry. We’ll just call security and they’ll let us out,” you pulled out your phone out of your bag only to find it completely dead. “Fuck. Battery’s dead.”  
Taeyong checked his phone and let out a string of curses.  
“Mine, too.”  
“What are we going to do?” you were starting to panic.  
“At what time is your exam tomorrow?” Taeyong asked.  
“Uh, 11am, why?”  
“When does the library open?”  
“9am,” you replied, trying desperately to remain calm.  
“Then, it should be fine, right? The librarians will let us out and you will get there on time.”  
You nodded silently. His logic was quite comforting, actually.  
“So, this is it, huh?” you chuckled, attempting to find something positive, despite this unexpected, stressful situation. “We’re prisoners of the education system. Literally.”  
Taeyong laughed.  
“Who would have thought? A lit student and a music student get locked up together in a library.”  
You shook your head.  
“Why does this sound like the beginning of a bad ‘an Englishman and a Frenchman walked into a bar’ kind of joke?”  
“Tragic, really.”  
“All things considered, there’s no one else I’d rather be locked up with.”  
“Aw, are you getting soft on me, Brontë?” Taeyong teased you.  
“Not a chance, Mozart,” you rolled your eyes.  
“The only downside to this unfortunate event is that we’re not getting dinner,” Taeyong pouted.  
“You’re right,” you let out a dramatic sigh. “I hope we have enough time to get breakfast tomorrow before my exam. You don’t have morning classes, yeah?”  
“Nope, all free,” Taeyong confirmed and gave you a beaming smile in the dusky light.

***

By 10pm, you two were starting to get sleepy so you had to settle for making improvised pillows out of your jackets and rested on the floor of the library. However, it was too damn cold for you to manage to fall asleep. After tossing and turning for a while, Taeyong could no longer put up with you making so much noise beside him.  
“Come here,” he mumbled and despite the darkness, you could tell he was gesturing for you to cuddle. You didn’t wait for a second invitation and eagerly approached him, wrapping your arms around him like a koala. He pressed his chin on the top of your head and you were seconds away from melting.  
“You’re so soft,” Taeyong said.  
“Mm, this feels really nice,” you murmured contentedly. “Feels…safe.”  
“I know what will help you fall asleep.”  
“Other than the cuddles?” you asked curiously.  
“Other than the cuddles,” Taeyong confirmed. “Just…close your eyes and relax.”  
You did as he asked and even though you were doing your best to calm down like he’d advised you to do, you almost had a heart attack when you felt his hand sneaking inside your jeans and between your legs. His long fingers were obviously looking for something and you had a fairly good idea what. You were so surprised you couldn’t move. Even though you two had made it official recently and had known each other for quite some time now, things had never taken such a turn, so you weren’t sure how to react. His movements gave you the answer you were seeking. Soon enough, you got so lost in the pleasure, so overwhelmed by the tingling sensations you were experience, that you forgot every worry and the cold floor turned into a blurry memory. You were attacked by a wave of warmth and you could feel yourself crumbling into his arms, trying to hold on to something, anything. When you came all over his fingers, the realization hit you. You had done something so filthy, so forbidden…in a library, of all places. It felt so wrong, but also, so right, you couldn’t spend any more time troubling yourself with such thoughts.  
“See?” Taeyong giggled. “You’re already starting to get sleepy.”  
“That was…so…hot,” you replied weakly. “But now, it’s my turn to return the favour.”  
“You r-really don’t h-have to…” Taeyong stammered nervously.  
“But I want to, baby,” you cooed at him and ran your fingers through his hair. Then, before he could protest further, you switched your positions so that you were now facing him from above. In the dark, you were having difficulties telling his features apart. Visually, you were struggling to see him properly. But you could still feel him, taste him and hear him, which was enough for you to get by. Without bothering to remove your clothes, because you didn’t want to make a mess all over the library floor, you started grinding against him purposefully. At the same time, you were murmuring sweet words of praise in his ear.  
“You’re doing so good for me, darling. I like hearing your moans, baby, that’s it. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do this? You look so beautiful like this, sweetheart.”  
Before you could register what was happening, you could feel something wet against his pants and much to your shock, it wasn’t coming from you. Had he just…  
“Baby…did you come in your pants?”  
Taeyong covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.  
“Please, don’t laugh at me,” Taeyong whined.  
“Can you hear me laughing?” you said in the most serious tone you could manage.  
“N-no?” his voice was so cute you were finding it hard to keep your composure.  
“You did so great, Yongie,” you whispered and placed your hands on his cheeks. “I’m so happy we’re here together.”  
You got off of him and resumed your previous position, cuddled next to him. It felt so warm and so cosy you completely forgot about all your anxiety related to your upcoming exam.  
“I’m so happy we’re here, too,” Taeyong confessed. “Feel sleepy yet?”  
“Mhm, it’s perfect. You were right, you know? About something other than cuddles being quite helpful.”  
Taeyong laughed, the sound was like music to your ears. You started drifting away but not before you could hear him saying:  
“I like you so much.” 


	15. Chapter 15

You slept surprisingly well, considering you were on a public library's cold floor. Lucky for you, you had the perfect warm pillow by your side - your precious boyfriend Taeyong. When you woke up, you were suddenly hit by the gravity of the situation. You had a really important exam in a couple of hours (according to the clock on the wall) and your only hope was that the librarians would come to unlock fairly soon. Apologizing to them for not leaving on time would probably be very awkward. You noticed Taeyong was also awake and he was giving you a heartfelt smile.  
"Good morning, sweetheart," he mumbled gently in your ear.  
"Morning, baby," you responded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He was so cute you could eat him. Figuratively speaking, of course.  
Taeyong hugged you tighter and breathed in your scent. Then, he lifted himself up and began scrolling through his phone. You were still pretty sleepy so you didn't notice anything wrong with that. A while later, he showed you a couple of adorable videos of kittens and puppies. You laughed at the little animals for a bit. And then, finally, it struck you really fucking hard.  
"Taeyong," you started in a serious tone. "Why is your phone not dead?"  
He gulped nervously, because he'd been caught red-handed.  
"Um...what do you mean?" he tried to play it cool.  
"Last night, when we got locked up here and I suggested calling security, you said your phone had died, too."  
Taeyong looked away from your intense glare guiltily.  
"Why did you lie to me?" you were getting a bit angry. No, actually, you were very angry. He knew you had an exam and were anxious about it and yet...He'd let this happen.  
"Because...remember that time you told me you have this fantasy of getting locked up in a library with someone? Well, it came true! And if I had told you my phone wasn't dead, security would have come."  
You rolled your eyes.  
"Taeyong! That fantasy would have been nice under different circumstances, not hours before my exam! What if no one comes to unlock us, huh? Did you think about that?" you were so frustrated with him. How could he do such a thing? Despite his sweet motives to make you happy, this whole thing had backfired against him.  
"Come on, you had fun last night, admit it!" Taeyong reminded you of your illicit behaviour.  
"That's not the point!" you groaned.  
"Besides, you also lied to me that time at the amusement park when you pretended to be scared just so we can hold hands! So let's just call it even, yeah?"  
"It's not the same!"  
"The way I see it, it is. You knew I was terrified of that death-ride and you made me do it anyway."  
Damnit. He had a perfectly valid point. But you were still so upset you couldn't admit it. Whatever you were going to say was interrupted by the librarians unlocking the door. You grabbed your bag, not bothering to look at Taeyong and went straight for the exit.  
"I am very sorry we didn't see the clock and didn't leave on time. I promise it won't happen again," you explained responsibly to the librarians.  
"Oh, no, darling," one of the sweet ladies didn't even blame you. "Why didn't you call us? We would have come to unlock you."  
"Our phone batteries died," you said and gave Taeyong a pointed, disapproving look. He simply sighed deeply.  
"Ah, I see. Well, make sure to carry a charger next time, sweetie," the other gentle librarian advised you.  
"Thank you so much for your understanding," you replied. "Take care!"  
"You too, dear, you too," the polite ladies said.  
Once you were out of the library, you hurried down the stairs without paying any attention to Tayeong who was trying to catch up right behind you.  
"Y/N, wait! We need to talk!"  
You stopped in your tracks and responded without even looking back.  
"I'm going to have breakfast. Alone. We'll talk after my exam."

***

  
Your exam went great. You had worried so much and it was for nothing. You were so relieved and pleased with yourself, which put you in a great mood. Such a great mood that it was quickly darkened by your memories of how you'd left things off with Taeyong. You had been too harsh on him. He'd just wanted to make you happy by turning your weird library fantasy into reality. And the way you'd treated him earlier...you had no excuse for that. Sure, he'd lied. But it's not like you were a saint. He'd known that there was plenty of time until your exam. You kept telling yourself he'd never have done such a thing if your exam was at, say, 9am. You wanted to call him as soon as you left the exam hall. However, fate had different plans for you. Taeyong had afternoon classes, which meant...you had a couple of more hours to kill. You felt like such an idiot. If you had resolved things earlier, you wouldn't be in this nervous state now. But your stubborn ass had been at fault. Well, you'd have to wait. At least you had enough time to think of a way to make it up to him. He was such a sweetheart you felt like you didn't deserve him.  
The second Taeyong's last class for the day ended, you dialed his number eagerly. You were very happy when he picked up rightaway despite your shameless behaviour in the morning.  
"Y/N?"  
"Can we meet up to talk?" you asked directly.  
"Where are you?"  
"Home," you said. "Will you come?"  
"That depends," Taeyong was considering it. "You still mad?"  
"No," you replied simply. You wanted to apologize properly in person. "Please come," you added.  
He hung up. What did that mean? Was he going to come? Or did he not want to have anything to do with you? Ugh. You were left wondering for about half an hour when you heard the ringbell. Was it possible? You opened the door and there he was, standing awkwardly. Poor baby. He probably felt just as anxious as you. You didn't waste any more minutes and pulled him into a tight hug and inside your apartment.  
"I'm so sorry," you both whispered at exactly the same time. Then, you laughed simultaneously.  
"I overreacted earlier, mostly because of the exam. I shouldn't have lashed out at you," you explained.  
"And I shouldn't have lied about my phone."  
"But you were just trying to make me happy," you pouted. "And I didn't even appreciate your efforts."  
"Yeah, well," Taeyong scratched the back of his head. "So, we're cool?"  
"Not yet," you chuckled and grabbed his head, leading him to your kitchen.  
"What's all this?" Taeyong gaped wide-eyed at all his favourite foods - noodle soup, strawberry macarons, sweet potato snacks and many other things you'd remembered him mentioning before.  
"An apology," you murmured.  
Taeyong wrapped his arms around you.  
"I should make you mad more often, then," he joked.  
You punched his chest very lightly.  
"I hated it," you confessed. "I felt like such an asshole. Let's never fight again."  
"It's normal for couples to fight occasionally. As long as we talk things out after."  
"You're right," you nodded. "Enough about that, eat up!"  
Taeyong tilted his head sideways.  
"Only if you feed me."  
"You're a baby," you said lovingly.  
"But I'm your baby." 


	16. Chapter 16

You were starting to get really annoyed with your friends, because they were sending you multiple texts asking if they can meet up with Taeyong. And…even though you loved your friends to death, you weren’t ready to share him. Not that he was your property. You just knew how Ten and Joy were. Soon enough, they’d snatch him away from you and then, he wouldn’t have time to hang out with you. And you liked things the way they were. Just the two of you. You began wondering how you’d bring this up. You knew that you couldn’t keep this a secret from him forever. He’d sense something was wrong, he always did. He was so perceptive and attentive to small detail. It was quite endearing but it made you feel guilty for not telling him sooner in the first place. You really didn’t want to have another fight because of your stupidity. So, you asked him to meet you at your favourite café and decided this would be day. You psyched yourself up by listening to some motivational playlist you stumbled upon. And yet, when he arrived, you were all nerves.  
“Hi, baby,” Taeyong greeted you happily and gave you a sweet kiss, which made you freeze and he immediately felt that something was off. “What is it? You’re not happy to see me?”  
“No, babe, of course I’m happy,” you wrapped your arms around his neck. “It’s just that…I have something to tell you and I don’t know how.”  
“You’re not breaking up with me, are you?” he went into panic mode.  
“Why would I ever do that? You’re literally an angel.”  
“Stahp,” Taeyong blushed and took your hand in his, leading you to your usual table. “What did you want to talk about?”  
“My friends.”  
“They’re giving you shit again?” he’d almost figured it out.  
“Kinda. They want to meet you.”  
“Oh, is that it?” Taeyong responded calmly. “Sure, let’s do that.”  
You shook your head frantically.  
“No, you don’t understand. I…don’t want them to meet you.”  
“Why not?” he was surprised.  
“My friends can be very…clingy and noisy. As in, they will insist on tagging along to our dates. Which can make things a bit…awkward and chaotic. I really don’t want to put you in that position.”  
Taeyong flicked your nose playfully.  
“Awwh, are you scared they’d steal me from you?”  
“No, that’s not it,” you denied, even though it sorta was. “Shut up!”  
He chuckled understandingly.  
“Don’t worry, I promise I won’t let that happen.”  
“Really?” you beamed.  
“Really. But there is one condition.”  
“Of course there is,” you sighed. “Shoot.”  
“I will meet up with your friends if…you don’t ask to hang out with mine.”  
“Huh?” you narrowed your eyes in confusion. “They can’t be worse than my friends.”  
“It’s not a competition, sweetheart. But seriously, don’t.”  
You pouted.  
“But it’s not fair! I’m risking everything and you won’t even tell me the reason why you don’t want me near your friends?!  
“I don’t want them near you,” Taeyong clarified.  
“Why?” you were getting aggravated.  
“You said yours can be clingy, right? Well, mine will literally start flirting with you the minute they see you.”  
“Me?” you spoke in disbelief.  
“You’re too pretty and my friends are also too pretty, so we can’t have that.”  
“Would you be jealous?” you teased him.  
“Yeah, we have that in common,” Taeyong admitted.  
“How about this…we both hang out with each other’s friends and face our potential jealousy like adults?”  
Taeyong started playing with his hands anxiously.  
“I’m not sure. What if…you start liking my friends more than me?”  
“Do you trust me?” you asked him seriously.  
“I do,” he nodded.  
“Well, I trust you, too. Everything will be okay, yeah?”  
Taeyong smiled sweetly.  
“Okay. Let’s do this.”  
“Who will be first? Mine or yours?”  
“Yours, cause they’re the ones who offered it first,” he reasoned.  
“Sounds fair,” you agreed.

***

When the day of Taeyong’s meeting with Ten and Joy finally arrived, you were starting to regret bringing this up. Did you trust Taeyong? A 100%. Did you trust your friends? Maybe like 10%. This was a terribly bad idea, what were you doing?  
“They’re late,” Taeyong observed, staring at his watch.  
“Yeah, they do that sometimes. And by sometimes, I mean always.”  
Your boyfriend laughed.  
“It’s fine. We’re here anyways, so we might as well order some food, right?”  
“Okay, how about…” no sooner had you started looking through the menu than Joy and Ten stormed into the restaurant, immediately spotting your table and rushing towards you.  
“WE’RE HERE, WE’RE HERE, DON’T START WITHOUT US!” Ten spoke loudly and you shushed him in embarrassment.  
“WE’RE COMING!” Joy shouted excitedly.  
“Um…Joy, Ten, this is Taeyong, my boyfriend. Taeyong, meet my obnoxiously noisy friends. I will be praying for your ears.”  
“It’s nice to meet you,” Taeyong greeted them politely. “Y/N’s told me a lot about you.”  
“Y/N, what kind of lies have you been spewing?” Joy attacked you rightaway.  
“I speak nothing but the truth, Joy,” you replied.  
“Wow, Taeyong, you look even better than the photos,” Ten was in awe of Taeyong’s godly visuals.  
“Ten, oh my God, you can’t just openly admit to stalking his profile,” Joy scolded him and then, joined him in his admiration. “But you’re right. Like a painting. Or a sculpture.”  
You facepalmed yourself. Taeyong was a saint for putting up with this.  
“You do realize I’m right here, yes?” he joked.  
“Oh, I’m sorry, are we bothering you?” Ten said sarcastically.  
“No, it’s alright,” Taeyong laughed. “So, Ten, Y/N told me you’re an art student. What other interests do you have?”  
“Hm, I really like cats and learning new languages. Also, I’ve been dancing a lot recently.”  
“Yeah? That’s great. We should collaborate sometime,” Taeyong suggested.  
“You dance too?” Ten grinned. “That’d be awesome.”  
“And Joy, Y/N mentioned you’re into acting?”  
“Mhm, I’m studying theatre right now.”  
“That’s amazing. I’ve done a couple of commercials but nothing serious. You should show me some techniques, if you want.”  
“Oh, I’d love that,” Joy smiled excitedly.  
Soon enough, Taeyong was enraptured by a conversion with your friends, which made you extremely happy. Their chaotic asses were somehow more tolerable than usual and they were discussing their common interests. At one point, Taeyong excused himself briefly and you friends took advantage of his absence to gush over him,  
“My God, Y/N, you’re the luckiest bitch out there!” Joy exclaimed.  
“He’s amazing! If you weren’t my friend, I’d take him away,” Ten added.  
You shook your head, amused by their antics.  
“Oh, please, Ten, friends or not, you’d take him away if I wasn’t here,” you mused out loud.  
“Damn right, I would,” Ten giggled.  
“All jokes aside, we’re both really happy for you,” Joy reminded you softly. “I’m sorry if we come on too strong.”  
“I appreciate that, Joy. Sometimes I worry…”  
“What, that we’d actually kidnap your boyfriend?” Ten smirked devilishly.  
You gulped nervously. He was kidding, right?  
“Dude, stop scaring her,” Joy laughed.  
“What’d I miss?” Taeyong asked upon returning.  
“Nothing much, handsome,” Ten lied with a wink. You were sooo going to kill your best friend.

***

Once it had gotten pretty late, Joy and Ten said they would head out, which left you and Taeyong alone for a while. He said he would walk you home. You treasured the quiet, the calm peace you shared in his company. It was a nice and refreshing contrast.  
“Well, we survived,” he observed. “Was I seeing things or was Ten lowkey flirting with me?”  
“Nope, you weren’t seeing things, he totally was,” you confirmed with a sigh.  
“I…I’m flattered. But you needn’t worry, my affections lie elsewhere,” Taeyong gave you a fond hug, which made you melt.  
“My friends were actually on their best behaviour. It’s the least chaotic they’ve ever been.”  
“That’s reassuring,” he smiled. “If that’s the least chaotic they’re capable of, I can only imagine their usual selves.”  
“Lucky for you, you don’t have to find out soon. Your turn next, remember?”  
“How can I forget?” Taeyong closed his eyes.  
“Did you at least have fun?” you felt obliged to ask.  
“Of course, I did.”  
“It’s like you have some super power to make people adore you. I love the way you found something in common with each of them so quickly and they felt comfortable around you.”  
“Hm, I think my actual super power is liking you very much,” Taeyong whispered.  
“Oh, yeah?” you quirked your eyebrows. “I guess that makes you my kryptonite.”  
“Nerd,” he rolled his eyes.  
“Takes one to know one, babe,” you teased him right back and kissed him. 


	17. Chapter 17

You were pretty excited to meet up with Taeyong's best friends, Doyoung and Jaehyun (you couldn't fly all the way to Japan just to hang out with Yuta, so...) but Taeyong himself seemed really anxious about the potential encounter. You couldn't understand why. You couldn't buy that shit he'd mentioned last time about his friends being all flirty. It wasn't a big deal, right? There had to be something else Taeyong was keeping from you. You wished you could find out what exactly without seeming too nosy.  
"Yongie, what's wrong? Hm?" you asked and stroked his hair, as he was lying in your lap. "Baby, talk to me."  
"Nothing," he sighed. He was visibly concerned and you couldn't help but worry, as well.  
"We don't have to do this, you know? I don't want to do anything that might make you feel uncomfortable. Just let me know and we'll call this off immediately."  
"No, it's fine. You were right. It's only fair. I met up with your friends and now you will see mine. I should stop acting like a child and just...suck it up, I guess."  
"Yongie, you don't have to do stuff you don't want to do. I deeply care about you and would hate to see you unhappy."  
Taeyong gave you the most genuine, heartfelt smile that made you feel all cosy on the inside.  
"I know and I thank you for saying that. But I won't change my mind. We're doing this."  
"Okay, but only if you're certain."  
He granted you with an affirmative nod, which did little to ease your worries.  
Next thing you knew, you were walking into a fancy restaurant you'd never been to before and Taeyong pointed at a table, signaling that his friends were already there. You weren't late, you checked your phone. Yet why did you feel so...out of place? First thing you noticed was that his besties were very handsome. And were dressed in black suits, which was kinda intimidating. You looked down at your ripped jeans and your casual sweater and you suppressed an embarrassed laughter. You felt completely underdressed for the occasion but it was too late to turn back now, so like Taeyong had said earlier: you'd just have to suck it up.  
"Hi, guys, this is Y/N, I told you about her a while ago," Taeyong introduced you, as you shook hands with Doyoung, who had a very stern, but nevertheless, polite expression on his face. He didn't say a word, just a simple nod was enough.  
"Woah, you should have warned us about her stunning visuals, man," Jaehyun replied and instead of shaking your hand like normal people do, kissed it, which left you flustered and looking back at Taeyong to see if that was just a thing Jaehyun would do or if you should watch out. Taeyong rolled his eyes, which wasn't very helpful. What did it all mean?!  
"I'm very happy to meet you," you managed, even though your stomach was in knots. You probably wouldn't order any food, you were so terrified of his friends not liking you that you would just have some water and call it a day.  
"Likewise, gorgeous," Jaehyun said with a wink, which, again, only increased your anxiety. Taeyong had been right. You were in danger of his friend's flirtatious behaviour! What troubled you more, though, was how quiet Doyoung was. Had he been dragged here against his will? Had you done something wrong to offend him? Didn't you deserve at least one word?  
After a while, you, Taeyong and Jaehyun fell into an easy conversation, chatting about your studies, your hobbies, and other topics the three of you found interesting. However, Doyoung didn't say anything the whole evening, which was mildly concerning. Taeyong would give him brief, upset looks but to no avail. He was as silent as a rock. At one point, Taeyong said he needed to use the restroom.  
"I'll be right back," he squeezed your hand tightly before leaving. Oh no. You couldn't stay alone with...  
"I'll come with you," Jaehyun got up quickly and you could swear you were going to die! If dinner so far had been just a bit awkward with Doyoung's unexplainable silent treatment, having just the two of you at the table would be ten times worse. You hoped that Taeyong would return soon.  
What shocked you more than anything was that as soon as your boyfriend and Jaehyun were out of earshot, Doyoung opened his mouth!  
"If you hurt Taeyong, I will find you and I will kill you. Understood?"  
Your initial reaction was fear. But you managed to gather yourself and speak up.  
"Listen, you didn't say one word the whole evening and you expect me to what?" you snapped at him. "Feel intimidated by that? First of all, I would never hurt Taeyong. Second of all, our relationship is none of your business."  
Doyoung scoffed and his face was suddenly inches away from yours, causing you to gulp somewhat nervously.  
"Cute. Of course, it's my business. I'm his best friend."  
"And I'm his girlfriend, so stay out of it, yeah? You didn't even bother to try and get to know me and you have the nerve to threaten me?" it was your turn to let out a sarcastic laugh. You were scared shitless on the inside but you wouldn't let it show. "If you think I'm just going to roll over and die, you've read it all wrong."  
This actually earned a chucke out of him. What was happening?  
"Okay. I might give you a chance, then. Since you're so willing to fight for him."  
"Yeah? Watch me!"  
"Hm. I'm starting to hate you less."  
You groaned in frustration.  
"You don't know anything about me. How can you hate me already?"  
Doyoung shrugged. Before he could give a coherent answer, Taeyong and Jaehyun were already back. Thank God!  
You wrapped your arms around Taeyong's neck, partly because you longed for him during the brief minutes of his absence, but partly because you wanted to annoy Doyoung. You knew that it wasn't the perfect move. You also wished you could get into his good graces. But until then...  
"Did my baby miss me?" Taeyong whispered.  
"Get a room, you two," Doyoung cried out in indignation.  
"Oh, he speaks!" Taeyong exclaimed. "I had almost forgotten the sound of your voice."  
"Like you care," Doyoung hissed.  
"Right, right," Taeyong laughed and then hurried to reassure him. "Of course, I care, dumbass."  
Doyoung's expression immediately softened and you could swear you saw his eyes glisten with affection when looking at Taeyong. It reminded you of the way...No...It was at that moment you knew why Doyoung disliked you so much. He was in love with his best friend. And that best friend just happened to be your boyfriend. You were in a bigger mess than ever. And you had no idea how to fix it.


	18. Chapter 18

You were haunted by the memories of your first meeting with Taeyong’s friends. One of them, in particular. Jaehyun was alright, he was cheerful and easy to talk to. Doyoung, on the other hand…Well, for starters, he held a great dislike for you. And it wasn’t even your fault! You hadn’t exactly wronged him in any way. But the problem was, you suspected he was head over heels in love with your boyfriend. And you were so damn conflicted. You didn’t want to stay in the way of their friendship. But you also weren’t planning on letting Taeyong go. So, you found yourself in a pickle. What were you supposed to do? You couldn’t think of anything…  
After that fatal initial encounter, Taeyong hung out with your friends a couple of times, so it was only fair that you did the same. Which, admittedly, was a bit awkward at first. But as time went by, you realized things were getting better. Soon enough, Jaehyun felt comfortable enough in your company and Doyoung…Well, Doyoung was still reserved and a bit cold towards you but at least, he was no longer giving you the silent treatment. Instead, you would occasionally make jokes and though he didn’t laugh, he would regard you with a sarcastic smile. Sometimes, he would even respond with another witty joke, which made you happy, despite yourself.  
You desperately wanted to get along with Taeyong’s friends. He was so accepting of yours, so you figured his loved ones deserved the same. And even though you knew that Doyoung was merely tolerating your existence, you still did your best to get on his good side. So, after hanging out with Jaehyun and Doyoung like three times, you were a bit upset that you weren’t making much progress. True, Doyoung was talking to you, so that was a win. But you were still certain he would get rid of you if given the chance. Fortunately for you and unfortunately for him, he didn’t catch you alone. But neither did you.  
And you really wanted to confront him about his unresolved feelings for Taeyong. You knew that not much could be done about it but…you wished you could somehow miraculously erase his prejudiced opinion of you and…for all of you to just be friends and get along. And yet again, you could see the way Doyoung was looking at Taeyong. Their connection was so powerful and genuine that sometimes you felt like you were the outsider. Which made you feel infinitely small and irrelevant. And that wasn’t helpful with your sense of insecurity, like, at all.  
So, you started brainstorming ideas how to fix the situation you were in. How to get Doyoung alone with you like during your first meeting…So far, you had been going outside to restaurants and cafés. But what if…you wondered…no, that wouldn’t work. Unless…?  
You were chilling in Taeyong’s lap on your couch, while watching some silly comedy on the TV. When suddenly, the brilliant idea started forming in your head. But you needed Taeyong’s help.  
“Hey, Yong?” you looked up at him.  
“What is it?”  
“I have this…wish.”  
“Can I hear it?” his eyebrows shot up curiously.  
“Of course, that’s why I’m bringing this up. I need your…advice. I’m not sure it’s a good idea, in the first place. I need…a second opinion, so to speak.”  
“Sure, go ahead. I’ll try to help to the best of my humble abilities.”  
You giggled and wrapped your arms around his neck.  
“You’re the best boyfriend ever!” you exclaimed and Taeyong blushed adorably.  
“Come on, don’t keep me in the dark!” he complained.  
“Okay, so…Christmas is approaching, right?”  
“Yeah. What do you want?”  
“All I want for Christmas is you,” you responded with a song.  
Taeyong cringed and pinched your cheeks.  
“Lame, but go on.”  
“Well, I was thinking…now that I know your friends and you know mine, wouldn’t it be nice if…”  
“Don’t burst into song again,” Taeyong warned you with a chuckle.  
“Why? You hate my singing that much?” you pouted, pretending to look offended.  
“Of course not, baby, just…get to the point, yeah?”  
You nodded, serious for once.  
“Why don’t I host a party? My place, your friends, my friends, you and me. How does that sound?”  
Taeyong beamed with excitement.  
“That sounds great, actually! I’m sure they will get along so well!  
“You sure Ten and Joy won’t scare Doyoung away?” you asked, half-serious, half-joking.  
“He’ll get used to their chaotic selves,” Taeyong laughed.  
“You’ll help me organize and decorate it, right?”  
“For sure! We’ll cook together and get a Christmas tree! It’ll be so much fun!”  
You clapped happily.  
“I’m so glad you think it’s a nice idea! This will be our first Christmas together!  
“That’s true!” Taeyong replied with a fond smile and you couldn’t help but kiss his adorable face all over. One thing led to another and you were suddenly making out on the couch, the movie completely forgotten in the background. You were tightly holding his hands down, as he was wriggling helplessly beneath you.  
“Is that alright with you?” you asked, worried that he was uncomfortable or…You didn’t know what had gotten into you but something about Taeyong made you want to boss him around and make him squirm…You usually weren’t like that but he unlocked a new side of you.  
“Mpfngh,” the incoherent noises he was making spoke for themselves but you still needed a verbal confirmation to make sure he was doing okay.  
“Baby…use your words for me, yeah? Can you do that?” you teased him relentlessly.  
“It’s alright, please, go on!” Taeyong murmured.  
“That’s what I lo-“ you stopped yourself before it was too late. What was wrong with you? You’d almost said the L-word. It was too early for that, wasn’t it? You didn’t want to scare him away. You wanted to take it nice and slow. “Locomotive.”  
“Huh?!” Taeyong seemed terribly confused and flustered. You honestly felt bad for the poor boy…  
“Locomotive,” you repeated dumbly. “We should have a safe word, no? In case things get…I don’t know, too much. For either of us. If you want me to stop or…vice versa…we can say that word and then it’s game over. Is that okay?”  
Taeyong nodded.  
“Words, baby,” you reminded Taeyong. “I want to hear your voice.”  
“Yes, that’s okay, miss,” he whispered. “But…what are you planning on doing to me?”  
“It’s a surprise, Yongie. Don’t you like surprises?”  
“I do, but…”  
“I’ll go easy on you, I promise,” you vowed and stroked your long nails against his sharp chin. “We can stop at anytime, baby, remember?”  
He gulped nervously but let you continue. You removed his necktie from his neck and smirked devilishly.  
“Give me your hands, angel,” you asked nicely and Yong was quick to obey. “That’s a good boy.”  
He beamed at the praise and you stroked his black hair carefully. You tied his hands up above his head and there was so much trust in his doe eyes that you could cry. He was so soft to the touch and you wanted to protect him from all harm. But in that moment, more than anything, you wanted to ruin him, claim him as yours and never let him go. You kissed him roughly and made good on your promise…


	19. Chapter 19

"Are you sure they'll come?" you asked in a worried tone as you were adding the finishing touches to the Christmas decorations needed for the party you and Taeyong had planned and organized together.  
"They promised!" Taeyong reassured you and put a hand on the lower part of your back. "They'll be here."  
You shook your head and sighed.  
"We've been waiting for so long. What if they can't make it? Look!" you pointed towards the window. "The streets are snowed under. What if they're stuck or..."  
"Y/N, relax! Just because they're late doesn't mean they won't come. Besides, if they are having difficulties, they'd text us so that we don't wait in vain."  
"You're right, I'm sorry for being so fussy..."  
"You're not. We both put a lot of effort into this party, it's natural to want everything to be perfect."  
You wrapped your arms around his neck.  
"I'm so glad I met you," you whispered. "You understand me like nobody else."  
Taeyong smiled and leaned down, meaning to kiss you. You were inches away from his lips when the bell rang. Both of you jumped up in surprise.  
"They're here!" you ran towards the door excitedly, while poor Taeyong followed you at a slower pace because the kiss got so rudely interrupted.  
"Hi, Jae, Doyoung, come on in!" you greeted them and offered to take their coats.  
"Are we late?" Doyoung asked politely and handed you a bottle of fancy wine.  
"Early, actually," you laughed and gave him a grateful nod. "My friends haven't arrived yet," you explained.  
Doyoung smirked thoughtfully.  
"Wow, Y/N, Merry Christmas Eve! I love what you've done with the place," Jaehyun looked around, impressed.  
"Well," you looked at Taeyong adoringly and he granted you with a beaming msile. "Santa's elf gave me a hand, too."  
"Not bad," Doyoung managed to utter something resembling a compliment once he found out his best friend was involved in the decoration.  
You shrugged, feeling nervous for some reason.  
"It's so nice of you to invite us," Jaehyun added. "I mean, you don't know us that well and yet..."  
"Nonsense!" you waved him off. "Taeyong's friends are my friends, right?"  
As you were busying yourself making small talk with Doyoung and Jaehyun, you heard the bell ring once again. But before you could react, Taeyong was already at the door.  
"Merry Christmas Eve, gorgeous!" Ten and Joy squealed simultaneously and attacked Taeyong with hugs and kisses. Doyoung looked utterly scandalized. Jaehyun, on the other hand, was positively amused by your chaotic friends.  
"Welcome!" Taeyong tried his best not to look flustered but he failed. He thought he had already gotten used to them and yet, they kept surprising him. "Joy, Ten, these are Jaehyun and Doyoung, my best friends."  
"Are all of Taeyong's friends so good-looking? This is some conspiracy against my weak heart! I'm going to need a drink," Joy started flirting shamelessly the minute she shook hands with Jaehyun and Doyoung.  
"I'm going to have to buy you one, then," Jaehyun kept up rightaway with a wink.  
"Oh no, there's two of them now," you groaned, which earned you a chuckle out of Doyoung.  
"You can't take all the men for yourselves, ladies!" Ten threatened and seated himself next to the very much shocked Doyoung, who couldn't do much but stare in confusion, taken aback by Ten's confident nature.  
Soon enough, you and Taeyong secluded yourself in the kitchen and began bringing the holiday meals to the table. At one point, you realized that Joy and Jaehyun's incessant teasing was the highlight of the evening. But you couldn't forget the reason why you'd come up with the idea for this party in the first place. You needed a minute with Doyoung alone and you had the perfect scenario all planned out. However, what hadn't been part of your scheme was how clingy Ten would turn out to be. Doyoung didn't look uncomfortable but he didn't seem to be completely relaxed, either. Oh, well. You had to improvise.  
"Doyoung, can you help me out with the corkscrew and the wine?" you shouted from the kitchen the second Taeyong had entered the bathroom. You felt a bit sneaky about doing this behind your boyfriend's back but it was all you could think of. Surprisingly, Doyoung came running at your beck and call. Was it a Christmas miracle that he didn't simply ignore you?  
"Oh, thank God," Doyoung hiss-whispered. "I needed a break. I am willing to bet Ten is seconds away from proposing eternal marriage."  
You couldn't help but giggle.  
"He's that whipped, huh?"  
Doyoung rolled his eyes, but he didn't seem annoyed, just...surprised? What was happening?  
"The wine is already open," Doyoung pointed out at the corkscrew you were holding.  
"Oh, right," you admitted.  
"So, you lied."  
"Get used to it," you replied. "I wanted to talk to you about Taeyong."  
"What about him?" Doyoung asked curiously.  
"No, actually, I phrased it wrong. I need to talk about your feelings for him."  
Doyoung suddenly froze and his cheerful attitude was gone in the blink of an eye.  
"How did you figure it out?"  
"Please, you have the exact same look in your eyes I had before gathering the courage to confess."  
"I highly doubt it," Doyoung scoffed. "At least for you it's not unrequited."  
"Listen...I don't want things to be awkward between us. You're Taeyong's best friend and I really wish for us to get along."  
"Rest assured, Y/N. I'm not the type of guy who steals people's boyfriends away. Though every second in your presence is like enduring being stabbed by multiple poisonous knives in my chest, it is much better to put up with that than never see Taeyong ever again."  
Your brows furrowed in confusion.  
"Why do you think that would happen? Even if Taeyong finds out about, you can still remain friends, right?"  
Doyoung suddenly closed in the space between you, which made you feel slightly intimidated, because of his height.  
"Are you threatening me?"  
"Me? For real?" you couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous the situation was.  
"Taeyong can never know about how I feel. Understood?"  
"Rest assured, Doyoung," you responded coldly, mirroring his words. "I'm not the type of girl who betrays other people's secrets."  
He took a step back.  
"I hope you're saying the truth. For your own sake. If you are, then...you needn't worry about things being awkward. I'm good enough an actor to tolerate your existence."  
You were completely devastated. So, all this progress you thought you'd been making...it was all an act? Doyoung was simply putting up with you?  
You couldn't dwell on it much further, because Taeyong rejoined you.  
"What's going on?" he asked as if he could smell the tension in the kitchen.  
The end of the evening was in complete contrast with the heated conversation you'd had with Doyoung. Everyone enjoyed the meals you and Taeyong had prepared together. Joy and Jaehyun were drowsing soundly on the couch by the fireplace. Apparently, flirting so much had exhausted them. Ten was showing Doyoung videos of his cats and dog and Doyoung was for once, genuinely smiling! You couldn't fake that shit, you were certain that your archnemesis was actually enjoying Ten's company. You needed some fresh air for a bit so you put on your coat and walked out onto the balcony. Taeyong had followed you so quietly that you didn't notice him until the last moment when you were about to close the door so that the cold wouldn't disturb the cheerful atmosphere inside.  
"Ten minutes till Christmas," Taeyong whispered and pointed at his watch.  
"Yeah," you replied without thinking.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Sure," you nodded numbly.  
"The party went great, don't you think?"  
"I suppose so. Do you think Jae and Joy will hang out again?"  
"Are you kidding? He already asked her number."  
You shook your head, laughing.  
"Which earned me some extra cash," Taeyong smirked. "Doyoung and I had a bet. He thought Joy would ask Jae first. Needless to add, he was wrong."  
"Serves Joy right."  
"Am I missing something?" Taeyong asked.  
"Did I tell you about that time Joy and Ten were betting about our relationship?"  
Taeyong chuckled.  
"Unbelievable."  
"That's what I said!" you exclaimed animatedly.  
"Is it just me or do Doyoung and Ten kinda have chemistry?"  
You gulped nervously. He had no clue, did he? You couldn't betray Doyoung's trust so you kept your mouth shut.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Nothing, um, yeah. It would be nice if they hit it off," you added. "We could go on triple dates."  
Taeyong smiled happily and pulled you in for a surprise kiss.  
"Merry Christmas, baby!"  
"Merry Christmas, Yong! I'm so glad we get to spend it together. With all of our friends, as well."  
"Me too, but we'll have to get rid of our friends in the morning, because I have other plans for the two of us."  
"You're terrible," you murmured against his mouth.  
"You love me," Taeyong reminded you and maybe, because it was Christmas or maybe, because you just really wanted to be honest with him, you responded:  
"I do love you."  
"I love you, too, sweetheart," he said it back without thinking twice and kissed you once more. Your heart was decided. This was the best Christmas ever.

***

On Christmas day you were woken up by Taeyong's soft whispers in your ear.  
"Good morning, baby!"  
"Are you my Christmas present because if so, I couldn't possibly ask for more," you mumbled in return.  
Taeyong chuckled sweetly.  
"No, I have something else in mind."  
"Oh? You've got me intrigued, darling."  
His cheeks flushed with colour and you couldn't stop yourself from caressing them gently.  
"It's a surprise. But first, let's greet our friends and exchange gifts with them!" Taeyong suggested.  
"We're doing that?" you were suddenly anxious. "I didn't know what to get them, so I thought it was just the party..."  
"That's alright," he waved you off. "I got Doyoung and Jaehyun something from both of us."  
"That's a wonderful idea! Actually, I did the same thing with Joy and Ten's gifts," you shared.  
"Well, you know what they say? Great minds think alike," Taeyong booped your nose.  
"My genius," you praised him and kissed his forehead.  
Taeyong closed his eyes to enjoy the moment and after you two were done with your morning routine, you got out of your room only to find all your friends still sleeping. Jaehyun and Joy were cuddled up on the couch, while Ten and Doyoung were sharing the guest room. You and Taeyong exchanged a meaningful look.  
"I have a very evil plan," you told Taeyong quietly.  
"Blast Christmas songs on Spotify to wake them up?" Taeyong literally read your mind.  
"Ah, Yong, a man after my own heart!" you giggled and pulled out your phone from your pocket, playing the first Christmas playlist you stumbled upon. Soon enough, everyone was groaning sleepily, complaining about being disturbed on Christmas morning at the 'ungodly hour' (as Ten put it) of 10am. However, after everyone was done bemoaning the preposterous situation, you all gathered under the Christmas tree to exchange presents. Joy seemed a bit concerned, which reminded you of your previous sentiments.  
"Oh, but I didn't get anything for Jae and Doyoung!" she expressed her sorrows.  
"That's okay, meeting you is the best present I could get for Christmas," Jae responded with the typical flirtatious wink.  
"We didn't get you and Ten anything, either," Doyoung confessed. "But I agree with Jaehyun, it's been really lovely meeting you," he looked directly into Ten's eyes as he said that, which made you hopeful there was something more going on.  
"Right back at you, handsome," Ten replied and the gift exchange officially began.  
You and Taeyong gave Joy a Christmas bear and a new make-up kit, which she absolutely adored, while her present for you and Yong were two beautiful matching red and green scarves. On top of that, Joy and Ten gave you a planner for the upcoming year, because they knew how much you liked to keep track of your goals. Ten received a cute Christmas coffee cup with kittens, as well as a fancy sketchbook for his art and he gave you both adorable Christmas socks. Then, Doyoung's gifts from Taeyong were a scented candle and his favourite singer's new album, which brought a genuine smile on his face. Jaehyun received a new set of headphones and finally, Taeyong's friends gave him a cookbook, because they knew how much he liked experimenting in the kitchen. Everyone had a really fun time, which made you so happy that the Christmas party was a success. Joy and Jaehyun were the first ones to leave, because they wanted to go to the ice rink together. You wished them to have a blast and were secretly hoping it would turn into something serious. After that, Ten said he had a plane to catch, because he wanted to go back to see his family in Thailand for the holidays. You bid him goodbye and were glad that he'd enjoyed himself. Finally, Doyoung somehow managed to catch you alone for a brief moment.  
"I wanted to thank you for inviting me," he said in a heartfelt, honest tone, which was a huge surprise. He was so different from the man you'd spoken to the day before. "I really had a great time and...if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have met Ten," Doyoung scratched the back of his head.  
"You sure you're ready for it? Because if you break my best friend's heart, I'll have to kill you," you joked, gently reminding him of his threats from a couple of weeks ago.  
Doyoung laughed.  
"I think that's exactly what I need. And don't worry about Ten. I'm the one who's being vulnerable here, sharing all this with you..."  
"If you say so," you shrugged. "Oh and Doyoung? I'm glad you came."  
He gave you a quick hug, albeit a rather awkward one but you were willing to give him an A for effort.  
"Merry Christmas, Y/N."  
"Merry Christmas, Doyoung."  
Taeyong showed up just in time to greet his friend for goodbye and once that was done, he closed the door.  
"Finally!" he exclaimed happily. "We got rid of them all."  
You chuckled.  
"What's the rush? I thought you liked our friends."  
"Don't get me wrong, I do," Taeyong explained. "But I want you all to myself now for the grand surprise!"  
"This better be worth the hype," you teased him.  
"Okay, now close your eyes and extend your hands."  
"If you put a bug in my hand, we're breaking up," you vowed but did as he asked.  
"Ew, no!" Taeyong squealed in distaste and you felt something cold but delicate landing in your hand. "You may open your eyes, baby."  
You did just that and were in complete awe when you saw the intricately designed silver necklace with a locket. You curiously opened it and were greeted by a picture of you and Taeyong. The very first photo of you together taken during your amusement park date. Your eyes started welling up with tears. You could barely hold yourself together.  
"It's...so beautiful, Yongie," you uttered, completely overwhelmed with emotion for him. "I love it...so much," you looked up at him. "Will you put it on? Please?"  
"You needn't ask," he smiled and gathered your hair softly so that it wouldn't get stuck. Once he had placed it around your neck, he nodded approvingly.  
"I have something for you, too but it pales in comparison," you mumbled self-consciously.  
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be amazing," Taeyong reassured you.  
You hurried towards your room, pulled something out of your drawer and returned to him with the gift. He tore off the wrapping paper excitedly and fell speechless when he discovered what was inside.  
"The Oxford Companion to Music," Taeyong breathed out.  
"I'm not sure if you'll need it for your future studies but...I just wanted you to have something to remind you of the day we met."  
"It's amazing, really. How did you find it outside of the library? I thought it was a pretty rare edition."  
"I pulled a few strings," you smirked mysteriously.  
"Thank you so much," Taeyong hugged you tightly. "My Christmas miracle."  
"We're so lame, aren't we?" you giggled.  
"Lame and in love," he corrected you.  
"Can't argue with that one, my Christmas angel." 


	20. Chapter 20

One day Taeyong called you, sounding really distressed.  
“Can I come over?” he asked, probably because he knew you didn’t have classes that day.  
“Is everything okay?” you were immediately worried about his well-being.  
“Let’s talk in person, yeah? Can I come?”  
“Of course,” you gave him the green light without thinking.  
“See you soon,” Taeyong promised and hung up.  
You sighed and started fidgeting around your apartment. What could have possibly happened? You prayed that it wouldn’t be something that can’t be fixed. You would hate to see Taeyong suffering. He only deserved the best of things. Half an hour later, you heard the doorbell ringing. You hurried to open and were surprised when Taeyong buried his face in your chest rightaway, crying inconsolably.  
“Baby, what’s wrong?” you took a hesitant step inside and held him closely. He simply sighed and didn’t say a word. You took him by the hand and led him to the couch. You sat down and Taeyong rested his head in your lap. You stroked his hair gently and murmured sweet nothings into his ear.  
“You can tell me anything, you know that, right?”  
He nodded, still silent. It was scaring you and you had no idea what to do. If you didn’t know what exactly had happened, you had no way of deciding what would be the right thing to say.  
“I failed one of my exams,” Taeyong admitted, feeling ashamed. “I studied so hard and…it still wasn’t enough. I feel like such an idiot.”  
You let out a sigh of relief. While you felt sympathetic towards him, you were grateful that he and his loved ones were healthy and alive, because your mind sometimes assumed the worst and worried needlessly.  
“Baby, you can re-take the exam at any point. I’m sure that you will pass next time.”  
Taeyong shook his head helplessly.  
“I haven’t told anyone else. They would be so disappointed, I’m such a failure.”  
“Hey, don’t say that! You are the smartest, sweetest, most diligent, selfless person I know. Everyone makes mistakes, okay? That doesn’t make you a failure, Yongie. You are too hard on yourself.”  
“I suppose you’re right,” he mumbled uncertainly.  
“Look at it from a different perspective,” you continued trying to comfort him to the best of your abilities. “If I failed an exam, would you be disappointed in me?”  
“You? Failing an exam? That’s practically impossible,” Taeyong chuckled.  
“Answer the hypothetical question,” you had no intention of giving up.  
“Of course not. Such things happen sometimes. My love for you has nothing to do with exams.”  
“Precisely,” you pointed out. “So, you shouldn’t hold yourself to such a ridiculously high standard. The people who truly care for you will always do so regardless of your achievements.”  
Taeyong looked up, sparkly-eyed and he seemed to be feeling a bit better.  
“Thank you for saying that,” he smiled. “I knew you’d understand.”  
You placed your palm on his cheek and gave him a reassuring kiss.  
“Do you want me to play some cheer-up music?” you suggested.  
“That would be nice,” Taeyong beamed.  
After a couple of songs that seemed to do the trick, your boyfriend had fallen asleep in your lap. A while later, your legs were beginning to cramp, but you didn’t have the heart to move and risk waking him up. He slept so soundly and cutely, you knew he deserved more peaceful moments of rest. At one point, he opened his eyes, looking slightly confused. He blinked up at you and soon enough, remembered what had happened and where he was.  
“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” you teased him.  
“Is it really morning?” Taeyong panicked for a second.  
“No, relax. It’s 4pm.”  
“Ah, okay.”  
“I know what will make you feel better,” you suddenly said.  
“What?” he was curious.  
“I wanted to wait until your birthday and surprise you but I feel like desperate times call for desperate measures.”  
Taeyong got up excitedly.  
“Wait here, let me get my phone,” you told him and he did as you asked like a polite puppy. Once you were back, you sat in his lap cautiously. “Promise me you won’t laugh.”  
“What is it?”  
You handed him your phone and earphones.  
“Just…listen to it and tell me what you think.”  
Taeyong nodded, visibly confused but eager to find out what you were talking about. When he played the voice recording, he looked up at you, surprised to hear you singing a cappella a set of unfamiliar lyrics.  
_Your hair smelled like roses  
And I was under your spell.  
We kissed with our noses  
And I swore I’d never tell.  
Your smile shone brighter than the sun  
And I was a fool for flying too close.  
We flew until I could no longer run  
And I lifted myself on my toes.  
Your eyes were the deepest lake  
And I was willing to drown.  
We kissed until it ached  
And I swore I’d never let you down…_  
“Did you write this?” Taeyong inquired once he removed the earphones.  
You nodded, feeling uncharacteristically embarrassed.  
“I know it’s nothing much but I just wanted to express how I feel about you and writing has always been my favourite outlet. And since you once called my singing beautiful, I figured…why not?” you began explaining yourself.  
Taeyong simply stared at you in amazement and before you could register what was happening, he was kissing you passionately.  
“You. Are. A. Marvel,” he whispered in-between kisses.  
“You like it?” you asked self-consciously.  
“I love it,” Taeyong confirmed. “In fact, I want to take you to the studio right now. But there’s something else I’d like to do first.”  
You smirked at him.  
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”  
“You bet I am,” Taeyong giggled and pulled you closer.


	21. Chapter 21

You and Taeyong were sitting in this fancy new restaurant, waiting for your food to arrive. A couple of hours ago Taeyong had called you to tell you that he had some amazing news he couldn’t wait to share with you. You had been very impatient to find out but he had said he wanted to tell you in person and you had no choice but to anticipate the big reveal. But no longer. By the looks of it, the food wouldn’t be ready anytime soon, so you straight-up asked Taeyong to tell you the wonderful news.  
“Okay, so, there are actually three of them. Which one do you want to hear first?”  
“How am I supposed to pick when I don’t know any of them?” you laughed in disbelief.  
“Least exciting to most exciting?”  
“Whatever you choose,” you were getting a bit agitated. “Just spill already.”  
“The first one is…I asked my lecturer when I can re-take the exam and she said that because I’ve been working really hard throughout the semester, she’s willing to make an exception and just give me an additional assignment. If I do well, I won’t have to re-take the exam at all!”  
“Oh my gosh, Taeyong! That’s incredible,” you exclaimed. “I’m certain you will nail that additional assignment.”  
He was glowing joyfully and you couldn’t stop yourself from squeezing his hand supportively.  
“If this is the least exciting news, I can’t imagine what else you have in store,” you shook your head.  
Unfortunately, the food arrived just as he was about to share the second one.  
“Eat up or it’ll get cold,” Taeyong advised you and started digging into his plate.  
“You’re going to destroy me,” you joked but quickly attacked the oysters. Around 15 minutes later, once you were done with the food, you looked up at him in anticipation.  
“Pleaaase, tell me!” you pouted.  
“Alright, alright,” he cleaned up his mouth with a napkin. “So, get this. Doyoung asked me to thank you. Can you believe it?”  
“To thank me?” you furrowed your brows in confusion. “What did I do?”  
“Apparently, after that Christmas party you organized, he and Ten went on a couple of dates. And so far, they’ve been getting along so well. Doyoung said that if it hadn’t been for your invitation, he never would have met Ten.”  
You were suddenly reminded of your last conversation with Doyoung. He had told you something along these lines himself. So, why ask Taeyong to repeat it? It seemed too incredible to be real. Maybe he really was into Ten. Could it be? The end of your worries?  
“That’s…surprising.”  
“I know, right?” Tayeong chuckled. “At first, I was a bit concerned. Doyoung doesn’t let people in easily. And as you’ve probably noticed, he was a bit cold towards you in the beginning. I couldn’t understand why.”  
Oh, God. _He had no idea, did he?_ Poor, clueless Taeyong…  
“Ah, it’s okay,” you tried to change the topic. “I’m glad that things are working out for him and Ten.”  
But Taeyong just wouldn’t drop it. He wasn’t getting it.  
“Yeah, but I kinda want him and you to be closer, as well. You’re so important to me and so is he. It would be such a shame if my favourite people in the world weren’t friends.”  
You smiled anxiously. How could this possibly happen? Knowing what you knew would undoubtedly make any encounter with Doyoung awkward. If other people were around, it probably wouldn’t be so bad. But if it was just you, Taeyong and Doyoung…The tension would kill you. What could you do to get out of this? Think, Y/N, think!  
“How about a double date?” Fucking genius.   
“Let’s make it triple!” Taeyong suggested. “Jae and Joy have been hanging out a lot.”  
“Sounds great,” you replied cheerfully. No, it _didn’t_ sound great because you would still have to talk to Doyoung. And you had no idea what to say. It’s nice that you’re now dating my best friend, please, keep doing that and don’t steal my boyfriend away? Ugh, it was such a mess. “Didn’t you have another piece of news?”  
Taeyong smiled mysteriously.  
“I knew you wouldn’t forget. Promise you won’t freak out.”  
“Promise?” only it came out more of a question than a statement.  
“Well, after we recorded the demo of that song of yours and that other song we created together a while ago, I might have sent them to the manager of a music company. And he might have said he’s interested in helping us release them and promote them. He’s also willing to sponsor us should we choose to make an album.”  
You blinked in what you felt as a mixture of horror, bewilderment and panic.  
“Please, tell me you’re joking,” you warned in a serious tone.  
“I’m not,” Taeyong laughed.  
“Why didn’t you ask me beforehand?” you inquired angrily, your eyes tearing up. “I thought this was just for fun, something between the two of us.”  
“I wanted to surprise you. And what’s the use of keeping your talent hidden?”  
“I’m not a singer, Yong,” you stressed. “I’m just a college student who likes writing poetry from time to time.”  
“Are you upset? I don’t understand, I thought you’d be happy.”  
You sighed, visibly overwhelmed.  
“I’ve never sung in front of anyone but you,” you confessed. “You should call that manager and tell him I’m not doing it,” you got up from your chair, intending to leave. You were so frustrated and honestly, terrified.  
Taeyong grabbed your hand gently.  
“Baby, please. I know that it sounds scary right now, but believe me, you genuinely have an amazing voice. If that’s what you really want, of course, I will tell the manager to let it go. But you have to consider this carefully before making a final decision. This could be an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”  
At this point, you were not even bothering to hide your tears. He was still holding your hand when you said:  
“Just give me some time, okay? I’ll sleep on it.”  
He sprang up from his seat and hugged you tightly, stroking the back of your head.  
“I’m sorry for not asking you in advance. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”  
“I know you didn’t,” you mumbled. “It’s not your fault. I’m sorry for attacking you because of my insecurities.”  
Taeyong gently cradled your face with his hands.  
“We’ll be okay, right?”  
“Of course,” you nodded. “I know you meant well and yet I can’t seem to get out of my head. It seems to be a toxic place.”  
“Trust me, I understand that.”  
“Better than anyone,” you observed sadly. You couldn’t imagine what you would do without him. And the guilt of keeping a terribly big secret (albeit not your own) from Taeyong was killing you on the inside. You would have to figure a way to fix this situation with the least amount of damage to everyone involved. Only you felt so lost you had no idea what direction to choose.

***

The next morning you were just about to call Taeyong and apologize once again for the way you’d acted yesterday and to tell him you’d decided to take the opportunity despite feeling scared when an unknown number contacted you. You stared at your phone in confusion for a couple of seconds before picking up.  
“Hello?” you responded nervously.  
“A little birdie told me you were being an idiot,” you were greeted by a vaguely familiar voice.  
“Doyoung, is this you?”  
“Who did you think I was, dumbass?”  
You rolled your eyes, grateful that he could not see that.  
“How on earth did you get my number?”  
“I’m dating your best friend and you’re dating mine, remember?”  
The way he said _mine_ didn’t exactly sit right with you but you couldn’t do much about it.  
“Why are you calling anyway?”  
“Did you have a fight with Taeyong over the music company thing?” Doyoung asked.  
“It wasn’t a fight,” you argued. _It wasn’t, right?_ “I was just shocked, that’s all.”  
“Are you going to break up with Taeyong?”  
“In your dreams, asshat,” you groaned.  
“I’m rooting for you two, actually.”  
“You are?” you whispered in disbelief.  
“Yeah. Now that I’m seeing Ten I realized I’d been wasting my time pining over Taeyong. I mean, he’s totally straight and in love with you, so…”  
You weren’t so sure about that. Not the love part, you were a 100% certain of Taeyong’s feelings for you. But you didn’t think Taeyong was straight. There were rare moments when you caught him looking at Doyoung in a way which felt bizarrely familiar to how Doyoung was staring at Taeyong. If you had to be honest with yourself, you had a suspicion that Taeyong used to have a crush on Doyoung. Of course, you would never tell Doyoung that. First of all, because it was unconfirmed. Second of all, because if it was true, it was not your secret to tell. Like with the case of Doyoung’s unresolved feelings for Taeyong.  
“Oh, well, it’s nice to hear you changed your mind and are no longer trying to actively antagonize me,” you muttered.  
“On the contrary, I’m going to be even more proactive,” Doyoung vowed and you weren’t sure whether it was a threat or a friendly promise. “You’d be a fool to reject this opportunity, Y/N. Go record and release that damn album or I swear, I will drag your ass to the studio myself.”  
What was going on? Was Doyoung actually _caring_?  
“Since when are you so concerned about my achievements?” you were beginning to grow suspicious.  
“Come on, Y/N. I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I really mean well.”  
“Well, thanks for calling, but I was going to accept the proposal anyway.”  
“You were?” it was Doyoung’s time to be confused.  
“I don’t know what exactly Taeyong share with you about our conversation yesterday, but I told him I’ll think about it and I did. I’m going to give this a shot.”  
“That’s amazing, Y/N! I promise you won’t regret it!”  
“Why do you sound so excited?” you laughed.  
“Didn’t Taeyong tell you?”  
“Tell me what?”  
“The name of the manager who’s going to work with you?”  
“No, he didn’t. Why? Do you know him? Is he _cool_?” you couldn’t help but attack Doyoung with questions.  
“Darling, he _is_ me,” Doyoung chuckled, utterly amused. While you were completely mortified! You wanted to take it back and say you’ve changed your mind. Abort mission! Going out with Doyoung a couple of times was one thing but _working_ with him was unimaginable. This couldn’t end well. You were gone for, completely terrified of what could happen.  
“Judging by the silence, I take it he hasn’t told you. And with a good reason, I suppose. Now that you know it’s me you probably want to run like hell.”  
“Am I so transparent?” you laughed bitterly.  
“Nah, it’s just that I gave you a hard time, didn’t I?”  
He literally vowed to murder you if you hurt Taeyong. Hard time was an _understatement_.  
“Listen, I won’t try to persuade you into doing something you’re uncomfortable with,” Doyoung promised. “But I can assure you that I will leave all personal feelings aside and be completely professional. I really liked your demo.”  
You sighed. Even though you were absolutely horrified, even more than you were before, in a way, this was better. At least, you _knew_ Doyoung. He wasn’t a total stranger. You tried to hype yourself up and think of the right thing to say.  
“Well, I am looking forward to working with you, then.”  
“You are? So, that’s a yes? Even though it is me?” you were genuinely having the time of your life. He hadn’t actually expected you to go through with it. You were delighted to have surprised him.  
“Have a nice day, Doyoung,” you laughed.  
“You too, Y/N.”  
Finally, you hung up. You went to have breakfast and by the time you were done, you remembered you had initially planned to contact Taeyong but the conversation with Doyoung had distracted you to such a point that you had somehow forgotten your earlier intentions. Eventually, you called your boyfriend and before you could inform him of your recent decision, he said:  
“Oh my God, Y/N, I’m so happy! Doyoung told me everything!”  
“Of course he did,” you whined. You couldn’t even get mad at Taeyong for not telling you the mysterious manager was Doyoung himself, because if you were in his shoes, you’d probably do the exact same thing. “Listen, about yesterday…”  
“It’s all in the past,” Taeyong said cheerfully.  
“No, I seriously want to apologize,” you insisted. “I was way out of line. I want to make it up to you somehow.”  
“You agreeing to do this with me and Doyoung is good enough an apology,” Taeyong joked.  
“Isn’t there something else you’d like?”  
“When you put it like that, there _is_ ,” he mewled.  
“Oh?”  
“But it’s too embarrassing, I can’t say it.”  
“How about you _show_ me instead?” you asked suggestively, because you already had an idea of what Taeyong was hinting at.  
“That could work.”  
“Dinner at my place?” you offered.  
“See you then,” he chuckled. “Love you.”  
“Love you, too, Yongie.” 


	22. Chapter 22

The minute you were done cooking the meals you had planned to surprise Taeyong with, you heard the doorbell ringing. You rushed to greet him and gave him a very tight hug.  
“Woah, there, easy, tiger,” he giggled. “Didn’t we see each other like yesterday? You missed me that much, huh?”  
You pouted, summoning your cutest face possible.  
“I figured after being so unfair to you, more physical affection was in order. And of course, I missed you, angel.”  
Taeyong shook his head, entertained by your sudden clinginess. He could get used to that.  
“Aw, my girlfriend is a baby,” he teased you.  
You blushed and grabbed his hand to take him inside.  
“A baby who made all these delicious meals all by herself.”  
“I am sincerely impressed,” Taeyong cupped your cheeks fondly and you leaned into his touch. “And very hungry.”  
“Come on, Yongie, the feast awaits!”  
You and Taeyong sat down around the table and ate happily for about half an hour. Some of the meals remained untouched because in your effort to surprise him, you had prepared far too many. Oh, well. You could always invite him over tomorrow again and reheat them so that they wouldn’t go to waste.  
“You know…I appreciate your marvellous cooking skills but when I said I was hungry, I didn’t mean food at all.”  
“You d-didn’t?” you stuttered, wondering if he had the same idea in mind.  
Taeyong got up from the table and knelt down next to you.  
“I was hungry…for you,” he pronounced carefully. _Fuck_. Hearing him say that was so hot and you were seconds away from dissolving onto the ground. “May I eat you out, miss?”  
You gulped, completely awestruck by the fact he was taking initiative.  
“Well, since you asked so politely…”  
Taeyong spread your legs apart with one hand and took off your panties swiftly. You were so glad you were wearing a dress. You couldn’t believe what was happening so you simply stared at him dumbly. Soon enough, his mouth was on your pussy and your hand was in his hair and everything was a little too much but too much was perfect. As he was devouring you, you made a mental note to return the favour with passion, because he deserved it, he deserved so much more and you were practically a mess. Once you came, you couldn’t help but repeat his nickname, once and twice and too many times, like a mantra.  
“Yongie, Yongie, Yongie,” you kept saying.  
“No offence to your lovely dishes, but that was more delicious,” he announced triumphantly after he was done.  
“Shut up,” you smacked his arm gently and took his hand in order to help lift him up and lead him to the couch. “I’m supposed to be making it up to you and yet, you’re treating me like a queen…”  
“Oh, this was just an appetizer.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Remember our earlier conversation?” Taeyong asked. “The thing I was too embarrassed to say?”  
“Yeah? What about it?”  
“I can tell you now. And you have two options after that. Option number one: you laugh in my face and kick me out of here. Option number two: by some heavenly miracle you choose to oblige to my fantasy and I become the luckiest boyfriend in the universe.”  
You caressed his face with the utmost care you were capable of.  
“Baby, I would _never_ laugh in your face. Whatever it is, you can talk to me about anything, you know?”  
He didn’t exactly shout it from the rooftops. It was obvious that he was still quite hesitant and shy about it. Taeyong whispered his whole idea in your ear. Very softly. Almost impossibly quiet. You just sat there and listened. When he was done, he withdrew slowly and looked up at you, puppy-eyed and hopeful. You couldn’t possibly reject him. So, you simply asked:  
“Are you _sure_ you want me to do this?”  
An excited nod was the only response.  
“If it gets unbearable and you want me to stop, remember our safeword?”  
“Locomotive,” Taeyong uttered it proudly.  
“That’s a good boy,” you praised him and ruffled his hair. He was practically glowing at this point.  
“So, you’ll do it? You don’t think I’m weird?”  
“Oh, you _are_ definitely weird. But so am I.”  
Taeyong scoffed, amused by your reaction. And then, the relaxed, peaceful mood in the room suddenly changed. You pushed him face down onto the couch and restrained his hands behind his back with the handcuffs he’d especially bought for the occasion (he had totally known you’d agree to this, the little smartass). Then, you picked up his phone like planned and video-called yourself but without responding. Not yet, at least.  
“You’ll stay here and behave, yes?”   
“Yes, miss,” he promised.  
“And no touching yourself without my permission, right?” you got the general idea of what he wanted to try out but for the most part, your words were completely improvised.   
“I won’t, miss,” Yongie swore.  
“Good,” you placed his phone right in front of his eyes. “See you on the other side.”  
And then, even though your heart was breaking, you left him there on the couch in your living room and walked into your own bedroom, all alone. Locking yourself from the inside. You feared you wouldn’t be able to survive long without being able to touch him. But you reminded yourself that this was for him. No matter how difficult it was to pretend you were “abandoning” him, you had to go through it, because you wanted him to enjoy himself. Ironically, he wouldn’t be doing much of that at first. You lay on your bed and picked up the video call.  
“Miss me yet?” you chuckled.  
“Yes, miss,” Taeyong confessed.  
You angled the camera so that it was giving him a perfect view of you touching yourself. Without being able to touch himself…You had no idea how such masochism could possibly be enjoyable, but you didn’t waste much time considering it and just did as you guessed would make the experience more pleasant for him.  
“Do you wish you were here, baby?”  
“I do, miss.”  
“Well, too bad, you _can’t_ ,” you said coldly.  
“No, miss, I’m begging you, let me touch you again,” Yongie pleaded desperately, almost breaking your resolve.  
“You don’t want to touch yourself but you want to touch me? Aren’t you a doll?”  
“Yes, miss, I am _your doll_ , you can do whatever you want to me.”  
“Such a shame we’re so far apart,” you joked sarcastically because you were literally one door apart, but it was all part of the role play.  
You kept touching yourself tantalizingly slow until you came for the second time that night, promising yourself to reward your boyfriend tenfold for his patience.  
“Miss, please, please, come back to me,” Taeyong begged.  
“Hm, I don’t know,” you tortured him a little longer. Because that’s what he wanted, right? “Are you sure you’re ready for me?”  
“If you don’t come back soon, I might cum in my pants,” he warned.  
“Oh, no, we can’t have that, can we?” you tsked. “Can you be a good boy for me and not come until I get there?”  
“I can do it, miss, please, believe in me!”  
“I believe in you, baby, stay strong for me, yeah?” and you ended the video call. Now, the really hard part arrived. You had to wait a couple of more minutes before returning to him. To test how good he was at holding himself back. You figured this would be more difficult for you than it was for him. Oh, how wrong you were. You took off your dress, remaining only in your soaked underwear and a bra. You sighed and put the phone to charge, because the video call had quickly exhausted its battery. You looked at the time and wondered what to do next to make the wait even more excruciating. You were bored already and wanted nothing more than to help Taeyong come again and again and again to make up for the orgasm denial. You stared at the ceiling and counted until 1000. Okay, that was long enough. You rushed to open the door but remembered it was locked. You tried to unlock it but to your utter horror, it was somehow stuck! Fuck, this couldn’t be happening! You kept trying to open it for a couple of minutes. Poor Taeyong, bound and waiting! This was the absolute worst! You considered calling him to let him know what had happened but he would probably not manage to pick up at all, considering his hands were cuffed! You gave it one last try and magically, the door finally opened! You let out a sigh of relief and hurried into the living room.  
“Baby, I’m so sorry, but the door got stuck!” you informed him in a panic, breaking character and probably killing the mood, but oh well. As soon as you’d said that, you noticed that Taeyong was _crying_. “Oh, no, my sweetie, what happened?”  
“I couldn’t hold it in,” he confessed, feeling ashamed. “I…came…in my pants…”  
You chuckled and stroked his hair comfortingly.  
“It’s not your fault, angel. The stupid door is entirely to blame.”  
He shook his head, apparently disagreeing with that.  
“No, you _have_ to punish me!” Yongie insisted.  
Your initial reaction was to say something along the lines of _I have to_?! but then you realized he _wanted_ you to punish him, door or no door so you stopped yourself. Woah, so the mood was not killed after all!  
“How do you want me to punish you, Yongie?” you asked, still uncertain what was to follow.  
“It’s up to you, miss,” he whimpered. “I’m at your mercy.”  
Oh, you would have to improvise again. Well, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to be in control. You could have so much fun. And in punishing him, you could finally do what you had planned to do all along.  
“You’ll regret this,” you threatened in a seductive voice and helped him get up, his hands still bound. Then, you led him to the bedroom and pushed him onto the bed. This time you wouldn’t bother locking the damn door. “Stay here.”  
Taeyong nodded. He had no idea what he had signed up for.  
You pulled out a soft silk scarf from your wardrobe and tied it around his eyes. After that, you uncuffed his hands behind his back only to cuff him to the bed.  
“If at any point you feel even slightly uncomfortable, you know what to say, right?”  
“I do, yes. Don’t worry about me.”  
“Oh, I’m not _worried_ ,” you lied. “I’m gonna ruin you, my sweet boy.”  
Something was telling you that this was exactly what he was looking for. Finally. You could do what you wanted and hopefully, it would bring him pleasure, too. You took off his pants and wrapped your lips around his cock like a woman starved, licking and tasting him all over.  
“How is this punishment, miss? You will make me come again,” Taeyong pointed out in indignation.  
Your mouth left him for a brief moment only to respond:  
“Exactly.”  
“What do you mean?” he was confused. And you loved every second of it. You didn’t bother replying and just continued to suck him off greedily. When he released himself, you swallowed every last drop of it. He panted and screamed out your name in bliss.  
You laughed devilishly and without giving him any time to recover, moved aside and wrapped your hand around his length.  
“What did you mean, Y/N?” Taeyong repeated helplessly.  
“Did you forget how to address me properly already?” you reprimanded him as you sped up your movements.  
“Miss, miss, please tell me what did you mean?”  
“You’ll have to see for yourself,” you said in a mocking tone, as if you pitied him. Which, in fact, you did. But you couldn’t let him know lest it would ruin the fun. A while later, he came for the third time, his question still unanswered. You settled on top of his cock and as you slowly positioned him inside of you, you could hear Yongie begging again. It was kinda cute, you had to admit.  
“Miss, I’m not ready yet, please.”  
“You _wanted_ me punish you, remember?” you reminded him teasingly. “This is your punishment. You’ll _have_ to come for me, ready or not.”  
Taeyong groaned but didn’t argue with that.   
“I’m all yours.”  
You started riding him mercilessly, praising him for being such a good boy for you until he released himself inside you. Luckily, you were on the pill so you needn’t worry. You had just slid out of him and were beginning to touch him again so that he would cum yet another time when you heard Taeyong pleading, all fucked-out and exhausted.  
“Please, no more, please. I can’t. Lo-locomotive.”  
Oh, no. The _safeword_. You immediately removed your hand and hurriedly uncuffed him. You removed the scarf that had served its purpose as a blindfold and began apologizing.  
“Baby, I’m so sorry. I got carried away,” you cried out. “Did I hurt you?”  
“No, it’s fine,” Yongie replied. “I just physically can’t take another one.”  
You nodded in understanding.  
“Do you need a minute alone or…?”  
“I’m okay. Can you hold me?” Taeyong pouted. You embraced him tightly and began massaging his wrists carefully.  
“You poor thing,” you exhaled. “I was too cruel to you, wasn’t I?”  
“You were perfect,” he contradicted you. “It was better than all my fantasies.”   
“Yeah?” you laughed in disbelief. “I was terrified I’d harm you the whole time.”  
“You didn’t, I swear. It was just a bit too much near the end.”  
“I’m really sorry,” you kept saying and hugging him and giving him light kisses and stroking his damp hair.  
“You seriously don’t have to apologize,” Taeyong giggled. “I was asking for it.”  
You shook your head.  
“Do you want to take a bath?” you suggested.  
“Only if you wash my hair,” he bargained.  
“Sounds like a deal to me.”  
The next moment, you were both sitting in your bathtub, Taeyong’s back was leaning against your chest and you were carefully pouring shampoo and rubbing it into his scalp. At one point, he even moaned, getting lost in the feeling.  
“Hey, don’t tempt me!” you whisper-hissed.  
“Sorry,” Yongie immediately stopped and relaxed in your arms.  
“I was just kidding,” you reassured him and continued to wash his hair as promised. Soon enough, you were back in bed, all warm and dried up. It was so cosy and homey you couldn’t possibly ask for more.  
“What are you thinking about?” he was curious.  
“You,” you admitted. “How good you are to me. How unbelievably lucky I am. How I’m not even sure I deserve you.”  
“Nonsense,” Taeyong replied passionately. “You’re equally good to me. We deserve one another.”  
You looked away guiltily, remembering the secret you were keeping from him.  
“Hypothetically speaking, if I had a friend who had a secret concerning you…and if I was unable to share that secret with you because it isn’t mine to tell, what would you say?”  
“Hypothetically speaking, I wouldn’t hold it against you. Because, like you said, it isn’t your secret to tell. Even if it concerns me, it’s up to that friend whether they’ll choose to disclose it or not.”  
You squeezed his hand gratefully. You were beyond glad that he was so understanding and sweet.  
“Thank you for saying that, Yongie. I truly appreciate it.”  
“This isn’t a hypothetical situation, is it?” he had to ask.  
“Why ask when you know the answer already?” you smiled sadly.


	23. Chapter 23

Working with Taeyong and Doyoung in the studio proved to be a surprisingly good idea. When alone with Taeyong, you were like fire and water. But with Doyoung in the picture, there was more balance, so to speak. Doyoung was like air, making up for your differences. And you were indeed pleasantly shocked at how professional and calm he was being. You quickly managed to record three songs together and everyone was happy with the results. However, there was one downside – time seemed to fly away swiftly. And before you could enjoy all the progress you’d made in the matter of hours, it was already dinner time.  
“Let’s eat together,” Doyoung suggested to your utter amazement. “My treat.”  
“The three of us?” Taeyong questioned, also flabbergasted by Doyoung’s positive change in his behaviour towards you.  
“How about Ten joins us?” you quickly offered. Things were going well in the comfortable studio but you were scared that they would be different outside of it and that Doyoung would somehow go back to his cold self. “Make it a double date?”  
Doyoung shrugged.  
“Alright, I’ll text him.”  
Seconds away, Ten had responded that he was already on his way to the restaurant Doyoung had picked. Because, obviously, Ten knew every place in town.  
“How about Jae and Joy?” Taeyong asked.  
“Spoke to Jae earlier, he took Joy camping out of town.”  
“Damn, that slick bastard,” Taeyong whistled, impressed by Jaehyun’s moves. “I hope Joy knows what that means.”  
“Oh, trust me, Joy isn’t the one you should be worried about,” you chuckled.  
“I’m with Y/N on that one,” Doyoung backed you up, surprising you once again. Will the wonders never cease? “Let’s go find ourselves a table.”  
You and Taeyong agreed happily and jumped up like lost puppies after Doyoung who was leading the way to the restaurant. Once you were there, Ten had already booked a table for four.  
“Hey, this is supposed to be my treat and here you are stealing the thunder,” Doyoung scolded Ten jokingly and kissed him passionately, grabbing his neck. Ten reciprocated the kiss with equal fervour. You wanted to look away because you didn’t mean to make them feel uncomfortable by staring but judging by Taeyong’s reaction you weren’t the only one with their eyes stuck on the sight before you. However, you could notice something strange in your boyfriend’s intense gaze. It was definitely not the kind of look that said “Ew, gross, get a room.” Did you notice a hint of jealousy? But that wouldn’t make sense, would it? You and Taeyong were happy together. Taeyong’s behaviour only intensified your growing suspicions that he either had a crush on Doyoung or in the worst case scenario, a part of him still liked Doyoung as more than a friend. Eventually, Ten and Doyoung broke away from their intense kiss.  
“Nice try,” Ten laughed, looking up at his boyfriend. “But you’re still paying.”  
Doyoung rolled his eyes, amused.  
“Of course, I’m a man of my word.”  
“Mmm, that’s so sexy of you,” Ten replied.  
Taeyong legit coughed awkwardly as if to put their flirting to an end. Honestly, you were having the time of your life and wanted Doyoung and Ten to continue whatever they were doing as long as it meant nothing stood in the way of your happiness. But it was in that moment that you realized that your happiness also meant Taeyong’s happiness. And it was beyond obvious that he wasn’t enjoying Doyoung’s affection towards Ten for whatever reason. And the fact that Ten was your best friend further complicated the situation. You had no idea what the right direction to choose was. So, you did the one thing you were best at. Distract and attack.  
“Shall we order?” you spoke up. “Doyoung, you shouldn’t have said it’s your treat, I’m going to get the most expensive meal on the menu,” you warned teasingly.  
But Doyoung’s great mood was impossible to ruin.  
“Go ahead, Y/N,” he smirked, totally unfazed. “My brother owns the place.”  
“Show-off,” Taeyong muttered under his breath.  
“So, how have you guys been?” Ten inquired cheerfully. “Doyoung told me about that music project! It sounds like lots of fun.”  
“It is,” you beamed. “Your boyfriend is such a great manager!”  
Taeyong seriously had the audacity to scoff! What was with him? Was he jealous that Doyoung was getting all the attention? He had suggested working with him in the first place. Unless…had he gotten affected by the part about Ten being Doyoung’s boyfriend? You really wished you could get to the bottom of this without hurting anyone. Another thing that bothered you was that now that you and Doyoung were finally getting along, Taeyong was behaving so weirdly. You thought this was what he wanted. But things only spiralled downwards.  
“Shit, Doy, you shouldn’t spoil us so much,” Ten exclaimed upon seeing the prices on the menu. Once you saw them yourself, you totally understood Ten’s reaction. “People will think we’re all your sugar babies or something.”  
“It wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” Doyoung joked.  
You choked on your water and Taeyong looked terribly concerned and unamused by Doyoung’s words. He _was_ joking, right? This was such a disaster you were beginning to regret suggesting for Ten to come along. You loved your best friend to death but he had the tendency of saying the wrong things at the wrong time.  
“I’ll be right back,” Taeyong suddenly said and went outside for a breath of fresh air, you guessed. You knew he wanted to be alone but how could you just stand there third-wheeling? Luckily, Doyoung and Ten didn’t start making out in front of you. Instead, the three of you engaged in an animated conversation about books, music and films you all liked. You didn’t notice how much time had passed when the food arrived. You even started your meals and Taeyong still hadn’t returned.  
“I should probably go check on him,” you said to no one in particular. Doyoung simply nodded, while Ten gave you an encouraging thumbs up. You found your boyfriend at the balcony, staring at the night sky silently.  
“Hey, babe, what’s wrong?” you stroked his back gently.  
“It’s stupid, really,” he murmured.  
“Feelings aren’t stupid,” you argued.  
“Well, _mine_ obviously are.”  
You shook your head.  
“That’s not true. I care about your feelings.”  
“You seem to be the only one, then,” Taeyong sighed.  
“What do you mean? Your friends and your family care, too.”  
“It doesn’t matter,” he didn’t want to talk and you couldn’t force him to if he wasn’t ready. “I’ll go home. I’m tired.”  
You wanted to cry and beg him to stay but you knew it wouldn’t be right.  
“Do you want me to come with you?” you asked.  
“Nah, you should stick around and tell them I had an emergency or something.”  
You nodded and decided to respect his wishes. But you didn’t feel like letting him go just yet. It was a constant struggle between what was the selfless and selfish thing to do.  
You hugged him tightly, trying to convey as much emotion as you could.  
“Text me when you get home, yeah?”  
“Will do,” Taeyong promised and left your arms. You went back inside, feeling so empty. You wished you could have been more helpful. But it was too late now. You would have to try harder to break through his walls tomorrow. He needed to talk to someone about whatever it was he was feeling.  
“I’m back,” you announced, trying to fake a smile. “Taeyong wasn’t feeling well so he went home,” you explained.   
Doyoung’s confident, easy-going smile immediately darkened. He was deeply worried about Taeyong. You were, too, but there was something almost violent about Doyoung’s eyes.  
“And you _let_ him?” he said through gritted teeth.  
Your brows furrowed in confusion. Ten was uncharacteristically silent.  
“Was I supposed to force him to stick around?” you hissed sarcastically.  
“You should have gone with him!” Doyoung was practically scolding you. “Damnit, Y/N, how can you be so dumb?” _There he was._ Back to the guy who hated your guts. You knew this newfound peace had been too good to last.  
Ten finally joined the argument.  
“Doyoung, leave her the fuck alone!”  
“Seriously? You’re taking _her_ side?”  
“I am, actually,” Ten confirmed. “Taeyong _wanted_ to go home. She simply respected his wishes.” Exactly! Thank you, Ten! “End of story.”  
“Whatever,” Doyoung groaned. “You’re both being unreasonable,” he threw a couple of bills on the table demonstratively. “I’m out of here.”  
“Doyoung, wait!” you pleaded. You knew you hadn’t done anything wrong and yet, it felt weird to have him pay for the bill after this unexpected fight.  
“Save it,” he cut you off. “I promised it’s my treat. This changes nothing,” and with that, Doyoung left.  
Ugh! Tonight was officially the worst!  
“I guess, it’s just the two of us, then,” Ten laughed sadly.  
“Fuck. Ten, sweetie, I’m so sorry you had a fight with your boyfriend because of me,” you were feeling guilty towards your best friend. He had just wanted to have a fun night out. And to think your suggestion was the reason he was here in the first place. You wondered if things would have gone differently had it been just the three of you: Taeyong, Doyoung and yourself. Like in the studio. Things had been going so well and you felt like you had ruined it.  
“Honestly? This isn’t your fault like at all,” Ten grinned. Why was he alright with this? Were you missing something? “Doyoung is really great in bed, but…”  
“No, no, I don’t want to hear about your sex life,” you shut your ears and started singing “La-la-la” playfully. Ten had managed to lift your mood so quickly it was remarkable.  
“But he also gets angry at every little thing,” Ten continued, causing you to actually listen. “For example, I made this online friend, his name is John! And it’s not like I’ve done anything wrong! But Doyoung told me to stop texting John so often! I swear, Doyoung is so possessive it’s frustrating!”  
You considered this carefully. You had a suspicion why Doyoung was acting in such a way towards Ten. He had missed his chance with Taeyong and now he didn’t want to lose Ten. That’s why he was jealous of a complete stranger. Someone Ten hadn’t even met. This had to end. But how could you fix this and make everyone happy? It seemed too impossible a task.  
“And I sometimes feel like something’s holding him back,” Ten confessed. “I don’t know what but there are days when he’s acting all distant, as if he’s _hiding_ something. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful you introduced me to him at that party. But sometimes I’m not sure if it’s all worth the effort.”  
You nodded in understanding, thinking about everything Ten had shared with you and how it was connected to Doyoung’s feelings for Taeyong and probably what now felt like Taeyong being jealous of Ten. The mess seemed even bigger than before.  
“Sorry for burdening you with all this,” Ten apologized. “It just came out as a natural response to…whatever just happened.”  
“No, it’s fine,” you held your best friend’s hand. “You didn’t burden me. I can’t believe both our boyfriends ditched us,” you tried to make light of the situation.  
“I know, right?” Ten chuckled. “I hate men.”  
“Ten, darling, sorry to remind you, but you _are_ a man.”  
Ten groaned as if it was physically painful to hear that.  
“When will the suffering end?”  
You shook your head, barely containing your laughter. The night wasn’t so bad, after all. You still had your best friend to keep you company with his sense of humour. The rest…you’d have to figure out tomorrow.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Doyoung Day, everyone! I promise I will stop tormenting the poor boy (his character in Study Buddy) soon and will make up for all the angst and yearning hehe! Did you all watch Doie's birthday live? Ahh, when he sang My Everything, I swear my heart melted. Hope you enjoy the new chapter, guys!

The next morning you were greeted by Taeyong’s multiple texts instead of any sunlight. It was a very grim day, only dark clouds looming in the sky.  
**Taeyong** : _Hey, baby_ ❤️  
**Taeyong** : _Sorry about leaving so abruptly yesterday_  
**Taeyong** : _Hope you guys had fun without me_  
You laughed darkly. ‘Fun’ was not exactly the word you’d use to describe how last night went down.  
**You** : _Hey, Yongie_ 🌹  
**You** : _Well, we kinda had a fight but don’t worry about it_  
**You** : _I hope you’re feeling better now_ 🥺  
**Taeyong** : _A fight?!?!_  
**Taeyong** : _Why do I feel like this is all my fault?_  
You could relate to that. You had been feeling nothing but guilty for everything that had happened recently.  
**You** : _It wasn’t, really_  
**Taeyong** : _Do you wanna talk about it?_  
**You** : _Not unless you want to talk about what made you rush out into the street all alone_  
Two could play at that game. If he didn’t want to share how he felt with you, why should you? You decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and check if that’ll make him open up.  
**Taeyong** : _You know, communicating is the key to a healthy relationship_ 😉  
**You** : _That’s exactly what I’m trying to point out to you_ 🤷  
He saw your message but didn’t reply rightaway. Had you been too harsh? Little did you know he’d received a call that changed everything.

**Taeyong’s POV**  
Just as I was about to respond to Y/N’s message, Doyoung called. I figured that if she didn’t want to tell me what the fight was about, I would easily find out myself from the other people involved.  
“What’s up?” I answered Doyoung’s call.  
“Are you feeling better?” he asked, always considerate of my emotions.  
“Yeah. Are you? Y/N told me what happened,” I stated but without specifying too much detail, because I was hoping to draw it out of him.  
“I was kinda a dick to her,” Doyoung confessed. “I was just worried about you and I told her it’d have been a better idea for you not to be alone. I might have gone a little overboard, though.”  
“You were worried about me?” I couldn’t help but feel touched because of his concern. Doyoung rarely expressed his emotions so I treasured these instances like gems.  
“Of course, dumbass,” he said in a heartfelt tone. “But I was also way out of line. Even Ten called me out.”  
“Did he now?” I was surprised. I wasn’t very fond of Ten and I couldn’t exactly pinpoint the cause. He was my girlfriend’s best friend and my best friend’s boyfriend so all human logic said I should like him. But I didn’t. However, the fact that he had taken Y/N’s side made me feel a hint of warmth towards the guy.  
“I mean, duh, they’re besties. Now that I recall the events of last night, I can’t help but feel I should apologize to both of them. The thing is…I don’t know how.”  
I sighed. He needed my help, that’s why he was calling, then.  
“So, you only contact me when you fuck things up, huh?” I pretended to be annoyed with him. Maybe I was, damnit.  
“No, it’s not just that,” Doyoung argued. “I also wanted to hear your voice.”  
Fuck. I hated myself for the way his words affected me. I was in a relationship and yet a part of me still…No, I couldn’t even allow myself to think about it. It was _wrong_.  
“Naturally, everyone loves my voice,” I tried to make a joke in order to distract both myself and him from the way I actually felt. “Okay, so listen. No more dinner double dates for the time being because apparently they don’t end well. You’re going to unexpectedly go to Y/N’s and Ten’s places. That way they won’t be able to refuse letting you apologize. But do it separately. And bring them nice flowers and a fancy bottle of wine. Then, sincerely say how sorry you feel for being a dick to them. Got it?”  
“Well, when you put it like that, it doesn’t sound too hard to accomplish,” Doyoung reasoned.  
“It isn’t, you just gotta go for it,” I encouraged him.  
“Alright, I will. Thanks for the advice, Taeyong. I really don’t know what I would do without you.”  
I gulped. Why was he going all soft on me? I was having such a hard time controlling my-  
“Right back at you, byeee,” I said in a hurry and hung up. Great idea, Taeyong. When in doubt, always run the hell out. Only after the end of the phonecall did I realize I hadn’t even scolded Doyoung for being mean to Y/N. There must be something messed up with my head. It was not that I didn’t care about her, I _obviously_ did. But Doyoung, knowing me so well, had been right about one thing. I didn’t want to be left alone. 

  
**Reader’s POV**  
You briefly considering calling Taeyong to sort of continue your conversation, but you decided against it. You kept telling yourself that whenever he was ready to talk, he would talk. Pressuring him into opening up could only end badly, so you had to be patient with him. You were in the middle of cleaning the dishes from breakfast when you heard the doorbell ringing. Hm, who could it be? Taeyong would have called if he was coming. You opened curiously only to be met with Doyoung’s awkward, somewhat guilty expression.  
“What do you want?” you snapped, still angry about last night’s events.  
“I came to apologize,” Doyoung admitted and handed you a bouquet of flowers and an expensive bottle of wine. “Can I come in?”  
“How did you get my address?” you asked suspiciously as you were stepping aside to let Doyoung inside.  
“You do tend to forget the most obvious sources,” Doyoung pointed out, reminding you of that time you were shocked he also knew your phone number. You mentally reprimanded yourself for being such an idiot. "Also, I've been here before, remember? The Christmas party?"  
"Right," you nodded.  
Doyoung shook his head in an amused manner.  
“Do you want something to drink?” you inquired out of common courtesy.  
“Some water would be nice,” Doyoung said.  
You nodded absent-mindedly and brought him a glass. He took a huge sip and started talking without even taking a break to breathe.  
“Let me just say this before I’ve chickened out. I was a huge dick last night and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you dumb or unreasonable for simply respecting Taeyong’s wishes. And I’m really sorry about behaving like that.”  
You smiled nervously. And as much as you hated to admit it…Doyoung had been right. But you knew that if you wanted your relationship with Taeyong to last, you would have to be as honest as possible. With _both_ of them.  
“All things considered, I _was_ being dumb,” you spoke reluctantly. “Taeyong might have _said_ he wanted to be left alone, but…I don’t think he meant it. Listen, Doyoung, I’m sorry, too, for getting in the middle of your friendship with Taeyong and potentially messing shit up between you and Ten. I feel really bad about it and I hope we can put it behind us and open a new page.”  
“Taeyong’s gonna have to learn to say what he really means,” Doyoung pointed out. “You couldn’t have known for sure, yeah? And it wasn’t right of me to attack you. But…I agree about starting over. I really would like to continue working with you. And don’t worry about Ten, I’ll apologize to him, as well.”  
“Good luck with that,” you chuckled. Knowing Ten, he would probably forgive Doyoung the minute he saw his stunningly tall figure. “And thank you for the flowers and the wine. You needn’t have, seriously.”  
Doyoung waved you off.  
“Nonsense, it’s nothing.”  
“Of course it is, Mr. “My brother owns a fancy restaurant.” I’m sure it wasn’t a big deal,” you teased him relentlessly.  
“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” Doyoung was quick to attempt to explain himself.  
“I know you didn’t,” you tried to help him relax. “I’m just messing with you. You should get used to it if we’re going to be friends.”  
“F-friends?” he said the word as if it was something new, entirely unfamiliar to him.  
You shrugged.  
“Go get your man, dickhead,” you joked and lifted him up from your couch. “And make sure you get him something sweet, maybe chocolate cake. But no fruits! “ you warned. “He hates fruit.”  
“I know, I know,” Doyoung laughed and took this as a hint to leave already. 


	25. Chapter 25

Later that day, Ten texted you to let you know he and Doyoung had made up (and made out, even though you wanted to hear nothing about that second part). You congratulated Ten and told him you were happy that things had turned out alright. Ten was ecstatic and promised you he’ll catch up with you later, because currently Doyoung was trying to steal his phone so that he’d get Ten’s undivided attention. You sent him a couple of 😂😂😂 emojis and decided it was high time you had a serious talk with your boyfriend. Even though Taeyong was probably not ready to open up, you could no longer ignore the situation.  
“Hey, Yongie, we need to talk,” you told him directly as soon as he picked up the phone.  
“Uh-oh, I don’t like the sound of it,” Taeyong chuckled nervously.  
“You don’t need to worry,” you tried to reassure him. “Can I see you?”  
“Sure, where do you suggest?”  
“The library where we met,” you whispered.  
“Sounds good,” he agreed. “See you there.”  
When your eyes found him sitting in the corner of the library, you immediately forgot all your frustration and simply rushed to embrace him as hard as you could. You wanted him to know that you were there for him. Taeyong hugged you back and let out a barely audible sigh.  
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” you broke away slowly and sat down in the armchair next to him.  
“I have to tell you something. But I’m scared, because I’ve never told anyone, not even Doyoung.”  
Oh, shit. What could it possibly be that even Doyoung, his closest friend, didn’t know? You couldn’t help but feel the pressure of being the first person who was about to hear whatever had been tormenting Taeyong.  
“You can tell me anything, I promise I won’t judge,” you put your hand on top of his to comfort him.  
“I think I might be bi,” he whispered. “As in, I’m attracted to-“  
“I know what it means, silly,” you giggled. “Go on, sorry.”  
Taeyong nodded nervously.  
“Yesterday was the breaking point, I guess. Before I met you, I had a crush on Doyoung,” he admitted. _Fuck_. You knew it! It all made sense now. “And I thought I was over him but…when I saw him with Ten last night, I got annoyed.”  
You listened without a word, attempting to look as understanding as possible.  
“And I ran away because I felt really guilty for feeling jealous. I just wanted you to know that I would _never_ cheat on you. But I also didn’t want to keep this from you any longer. So, there it is. Feel free to slap me and break up with me.”  
You shook your head.  
“Why would I _ever_ do that?” you cried out. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just feel sorry you were suffering in silence. And…honoured that you decided to tell me first.”  
“So…you’re okay with it? You’re not shocked?” Taeyong uttered in amazement.  
“Honestly? I kinda suspected it. But that’s not the point. You’re still the man I love and nothing will change that,” you squeezed his hand supportively.  
He let out a relieved sigh.  
“You can’t imagine how much this means to me,” Taeyong mumbled emotionally. “I was so terrified.”  
You hated yourself for laughing in that moment. Your boyfriend simply stared at you in confusion.  
“What’s so funny?” he grumbled.  
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” you tried to put an end to your inappropriate laughter. “It’s just that, I find it ridiculous. You needn’t have been terrified how I’d react. Me of all people…”  
“What do you mean?” Taeyong was deeply puzzled.  
“I’m...bi, too. I should have probably told you sooner.”  
Now, it was his turn to laugh.  
“We’re such idiots, aren’t we?”  
“Damn right,” you giggled. “But we’re _each other_ ’s idiots.”

***

Things were finally going in the right direction and you were beginning to become more hopeful. You and Taeyong were in a great place ever since he had decided to open up. And working with your boyfriend and Doyoung in the studio was as pleasant as the first time. And as far as you were aware, he was treating Ten well. However, you decided to refrain yourself from suggesting any more double dates with Doyoung and Ten out of fear that it would end in disaster. Joy and Jae, on the other hand, were safe territory because Taeyong didn’t have any unresolved feelings for them. You hung out with them a couple of times. Naturally, you and Taeyong also met up with Doyoung outside of the studio, usually for dinner. As for Ten, the circumstances forced you to only catch up with him one-on-one or with Joy. It reminded you of the good old days when it was just the three of you. You had missed your friends and wanted to devote more time to them.  
“Ah, the silver trio back together,” Ten exclaimed triumphantly, lifting up his glass in the air. “Sexiest squad in the world.” It was an inside joke between the three of you. A while ago, Joy had shared that she related the most to Ginny as a character and you had said that Luna was your fave. You desperately needed a “Neville” to complete the silver trio agenda but Ten, being a total Slytherin, had pointed out that some fans also call Draco, Pansy and Blaise the silver trio. So, you decided to make an exception and call yourselves that.  
“Remind me again, why did we allow a Slytherin into our club?” Joy joked and clinked glasses with you two.  
“He’s just as sane as we are,” you paraphrased Luna and gave Ten a wink. “I’m really happy you’re all here, guys!”  
“I feel like there’s an announcement coming,” Ten guessed correctly.  
“Spill the tea, sis,” Joy urged you excitedly.  
“Well, as you know I’ve been working on this album and if all things go according to plan, it might get released next month,” you confessed.  
“Oh my God, Y/N! That’s splendid,” Joy gave you a hug.  
“We’re so proud of you! Congratulations,” Ten grinned but you couldn’t help but notice something a bit off about his expression. _Oh, no._ You knew things were too good to be real.  
“Anyways, enough about me,” you quickly changed the subject. “How are things with you and Doyoung, Ten?”  
The exact moment you said that, Ten’s fake smile disappeared and he burst into tears, hiding his face.  
“Shit, I’m so sorry,” you grabbed his hand. Joy took hold of his other hand and squeezed it supportively. “Forget I asked, I’m such a dumbass.”  
Ten shook his head.  
“I was going to tell you, guys, anyway,” he managed to mumble through the sobs. Once he regained his composure and took a deep breath, Ten began his story. “On the outside Doyoung seems to be a picture-perfect guy, he’s like…tall, sexy, smart, filthy rich,” you couldn’t help but snicker at that last part. “But I have two problems with his personality that I can’t seem to resolve. The first thing is that he doesn’t want to talk about his feelings. For example, I can tell he’s not being entirely honest about something but he just refuses to communicate and it’s so frustrating because I like him so much but if he keeps doing that, I don’t know…I might have to end it. And the second thing which bothers me is that ever since I started chatting with my online friend John, Doyoung’s been impossible. I swear I caught him reading my texts more than once. What I should do, guys?”  
You felt like whatever you could say would be wrong, because your opinion was biased. Ten was your best friend and you wanted him to be happy, of course, but at the same time, you wanted his relationship with Doyoung to last, because you were terrified that if it didn’t, Doyoung might try to steal Taeyong away. And now that you were keeping not one but two secrets involving people’s emotions, you couldn’t help but feel even more overwhelmed. Luckily, Joy beat you to it.  
“Listen, Ten, if I were you, I would break up with Doyoung rightaway. I mean, you don’t need that kind of toxic behaviour, am I right?” You were still silent. “Y/N, back me up here!” she nudged you insistently.  
“I don’t know, Joy,” you spoke carefully, trying to find the balance between what would be best for everyone. “It’s up to Ten whether to make such a decision or not. I can’t say I blame Doyoung, though, everyone gets jealous sometimes.”  
“Okay, but he’s not just jealous,” Ten argued. “It’s borderline obsessive. And I know that talking to him about it won’t help, because everytime I try to bring it up, he distracts me with sex! Which though I can’t say I don’t enjoy, isn’t right!”  
This time you couldn’t even make fun of Ten’s last remark, the situation was too serious.  
“You deserve better, Ten,” Joy said passionately. And she was right. Not only a better boyfriend. He deserved a better friend than you…If you hadn’t been so selfish, you would have never introduced Ten to Doyoung at that damn Christmas party. But maybe it wasn’t too late to fix this.  
“I also think you should do what’s best for you,” you admitted. “And if Doyoung doesn’t trust you enough and goes through your texts, that’s on him.”  
Ten nodded in agreement.  
“It’s decided, then. I’ll break up with him.”  
There it was. The beginning of the end. 


	26. Chapter 26

A week later, you received the strangest call at the strangest hour. It was 2am and you were too sleepy to talk. Fortunately, you wouldn’t be doing much talking. And you were a good listener, according to everyone who knew you.  
“Doyoung?” you murmured, turning on the lamps.  
“Ten broke up with me,” he cried out angrily.  
“I know,” you replied calmly. “He’s my best friend, remember?”  
“Fuck, of course you know,” Doyoung laughed maniacally.  
“Are you drunk?”  
“Are _you_ drunk?” he mimicked your voice to the best of his abilities.  
“Where are you?” you didn’t know what had gotten into you but you were absolutely _horrified_ for Doyoung. If something happened to him, you wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself.  
“What is it to you?” he mocked you.  
“Answer my question,” you ordered him in the most dominant voice you were capable of.  
“I’m home,” Doyoung sighed. “Will you come?”  
“Do you _want_ me to come?” you were beyond shocked.  
“I hate being alone,” he admitted.  
“Text me your address, then.”  
“You know my address,” Doyoung informed you. You _did_? What? When you didn’t respond, he added: “Taeyong and I are roommates? You knew that, right?”  
You didn’t actually…After all these months of dating and you just realized you’d only been to Taeyong’s place like three times. And Doyoung wasn’t there. So how could you have known it? Just when you thought you were getting to know your boyfriend better…Everything was a ruin.  
“Right, right,” you pretended not to sound distressed by the fact that you learned such valuable information from Doyoung, of all people. “Wait, you said you hate being alone. Where is he, then?”  
“Took you long enough to ask,” he chuckled darkly. “He never told you, did he?”  
Fuck. You really were a terrible liar.  
“He’s making music at the studio,” Doyoung replied when you neither confirmed nor denied his rightful assumption.  
“At 2am?!”  
“He does that sometimes. Can’t stop him.”  
You sighed. Another problem to deal with. But right now, you had to go to Doyoung.  
“I’m on my way,” you promised and got out of bed.

***

When you entered Doyoung’s…correction, Taeyong’s and Doyoung’s shared apartment, you looked around the living room as if you were seeing it for the first time. In a way, you were. So many secrets and you kept discovering more. But you couldn’t exactly blame neither Doyoung, nor Taeyong. You were equally dishonest. To both of them.  
“Thanks for coming,” Doyoung greeted you with those words. He was already looking sobered up and sounded a lot better than he did on the phone earlier. “Ten probably told you why he broke up with me but will you humour me for a second and let me tell you my suspicions?”  
“Go ahead,” you sat down on the couch, making yourself at home. It was so strange to be here, knowing what you knew now.  
“The first thing is that I was kinda jealous of his friend. I’m not proud of it but I read Ten’s texts and he caught me in the act. And even though they were just friendly, I couldn’t help myself. But you know what the funny part is? I’m no longer sure I was jealous at all. I think I was just faking it in my desperate attempt to get over Taeyong.”  
“And here comes the second part,” you mused out loud, already sensing where this was going. It was like standing at the beach waiting for a tsunami that you knew was coming to devour you  
“Ten is very perceptive. I feel like he knew I was hiding something. You know, the thing that bothers me the most about you is that you swept Taeyong off his feet so fast I didn’t even have a chance to get closure. You started dating him before I could muster up the courage to confess. And then I just jumped right into a relationship. But it wasn’t the right thing to do. Not for Ten and certainly not for me.”  
“What do you want from me, Doyoung?”  
“I need to tell Taeyong how I felt. No. How I _still_ feel about him.”  
“Are you asking my permission?” you laughed sarcastically.  
“I guess I am. I know this isn’t ideal but…you have to understand. I need to do this if I want to move on.”  
You shook your head. This was too painful. How had you gotten caught in the middle of this?  
“Do it, then. But don’t force him to make a choice.”  
“Is it really a choice? I already know he’s going to reject me.”  
“You can’t know that for sure,” you whispered, barely audible. They were such idiots…To think that they’ve liked each other all this time, being completely oblivious of the other’s feelings. You figured you could make it right. It still wasn’t too late. Of course, you couldn’t just expose Taeyong’s emotions. Like in the case with Doyoung, it wasn’t your secret to tell. But yet again, secrets were what got the three of you into this mess in the first place. So you could help them find their way to one another. The right thing to do was the selfless thing to do.  
“I have a weird request to make,” Doyoung interrupted your thoughts.  
“Huh?” you mumbled.  
“I want you to be there. While I confess to Taeyong.”  
“What the fuck? Why?” This was too much. You couldn’t do it.  
“Because it doesn’t feel right to do it behind your back,” Doyoung pointed out, causing you to burst into tears. Picturing the possibility of Taeyong leaving you for Doyoung was too unbearable. And yet, you couldn’t help but feel touched by Doyoung’s consideration. He could have just confessed already without your knowledge but he _chose_ not to. Seeing you cry did something to his poor heart and Doyoung started sobbing, as well.  
“Why are _you_ crying?” you whimpered.  
“Because I’m so selfish for putting you in the middle of all this. Making you keep my secret was too cruel to you,” Doyoung explained through the hiccups.  
You had to be stronger, if not for yourself, for him and Taeyong. Or else this fragile house of cards you had built would crumble on top of you all. You wiped your tears into your sleeve and pretended you were okay, putting on your brave face.  
“Let’s do it now before I’ve changed my mind,” you got up from the couch and pulled Doyoung along with you. “You said Taeyong was at the studio, so he’s probably awake.”  
Doyoung blinked at you in shock, his vision clouded.  
“Now?”  
“Are you ready?”  
He shook his head helplessly.  
“Well, I don’t care. It’s now or never,” you said determined to get this over with. Once and for all.

***

“What are you guys doing here in the middle of the night?” Taeyong asked in confusion, opening the door to the studio and letting you inside.  
“We could ask you the same question,” you responded coldly.  
“Guilty,” your boyfriend grinned. “Since we’re all here, how about you help me out with this song I’ve been working on?”  
“That’s not why we’re here,” Doyoung replied. “I have something to tell you.”  
Taeyong nodded, sensing the gravity of the situation.  
“It might be a bit awkward but Y/N already knows, that’s why I asked her to come along,” Doyoung explained.  
“Is this about your hypothetical friend?” Taeyong asked you, reminding you of a previous conversation.  
You confirmed silently, while Doyoung practically flinched. As if being called your hypothetical friend was physically painful to hear…  
“Well, I’m all ears,” Taeyong sat back in his chair, perfectly calm and at ease, while you and Doyoung were standing and your hands were shaking.  
“Taeyong,” he started nervously. “I like you.”  
“I’d be surprised if you didn’t,” Taeyong joked. “We’ve been friends for years.”  
“I like you romantically,” Doyoung clarified.  
Taeyong’s eyes lit up with a mixture of disbelief, regret, hope and betrayal.  
“You knew?” he asked you.  
“I knew,” you said, looking away and feeling guiltier than ever.  
Taeyong ran a hand through his dark hair.  
“Shit,” he whispered brokenly.  
“Tell him,” you insisted. “Tell Doyoung what you told me.”  
“I can’t,” Taeyong refused.  
“You have to!”  
“I liked…no, I _like_ you, too,” he cried out. “That’s why I ran away like crazy that night. Because I was jealous of Ten. But I was repressing my emotions, because I love Y/N and I don’t want to hurt her.”  
“This can’t be real,” Doyoung’s gaze wavered between you and Taeyong as if to seek confirmation for what Taeyong had just said. You closed your eyes, another pang of guilt hitting you. Now that all the secrets were out, it was up to them to decide what was next.  
“What are we going to do now?” your boyfriend inquired, feeling more lost than ever.  
“What can we do? I’ll walk away,” Doyoung responded without thinking as if it was the easiest choice to make. Judging by his expression, it was actually the hardest. But you couldn’t let them lose their friendship because of you. You weren’t worth it.  
“No!” you almost yelled. “I’ll walk away. I kept these secrets that could have changed your lives from both of you and I feel like such an asshole for it.”  
“You kept them because we asked you to,” Doyoung was surprisingly on your side. “It wasn’t fair to you.”  
“I kept them because I’m selfish and I don’t want to lose Taeyong.”  
“And I can’t lose neither of you,” Taeyong spoke passionately. “It would kill me.”  
Doyoung lifted his arms in exasperation.  
“Well, what else do you suggest?”  
“I might…I might have an idea,” you whispered anxiously. 


End file.
